Naif fire fails to char survivor's wedding dream

Dubai: One of the Tuesday's Naif fire survivors thought that the blaze had dashed all his hopes of marrying on September 4, but on Friday his hopes were revived as he entered his room and found his air ticket lying intact among the debris.

Thiruvaluvan Arumugam, 27-year-old salesman from Cuddalore district in south India, was standing outside the town house, in which he lived for two years before the fire, hoping to be one of the lucky people to enter the burned down house soon after police gave permission to some residents to come and pick their belongings.

Arumugam told Gulf News that he thought the fire had shattered his dreams he had planned for months. He was to wed a 19-year-old girl back in India.

"When I walked around my room and saw everything covered in ashes I felt that my heart was crying but I started looking for things hoping to recover some of the gifts I had bought for my family. "But to my surprise I was able to find my air ticket intact and the gold chain I had bought for my mother. The ticket and chain were intact," he said. "The moment I saw the ticket my dream was rekindled. I will fly back home on August 31."

Eleven people were killed in the fire that ravaged the overcrowded bachelor accommodation.