When six years' savings came to naught for an expatriate family

Sharjah: When young and ambitious Pakistani brothers Mubashar and Janaid Seddiqi arrived in the UAE in 2006, they had dreamt of building a home filled with prosperity and hope for the future.

And for a while, they had it pretty good in apartment 905 at Al Baker Tower 4, a building in the heart of the Al Taawun area near the Dubai-Sharjah border.

But, fate had other plans in store for the hardworking Karachi men, who were determined to eke out a better livelihood away from their country.

What took Mubashar, a banker, and Janaid, a property consultant, six years to prop up was taken away in the matter of a few minutes on January 24 when a fire ripped through the 25-storey highrise, destroying everything in its path.

Families on the streets

A curtain of flames 100 metres high swept across the building, fanned by winds, turning 125 families onto the streets.

After authorities finally opened the tower to allow the displaced residents to return to their apartments on Monday to size up the damage, the Seddiqi brothers' worst fears had come true.

Every inch of their apartment had been so razed down by the flames that they could barely make their way through the darkness despite using flashlights.

Burnt clothes still hung in the wardrobe, Janaid's wedding photo album was charred beyond repair and the new beds, living room furniture and appliances they had purchased were barely recognisable. The only solace in, perhaps, their deepest moment of despair was that the brothers, Mubashar's wife and eight-month-old daughter had survived the blaze.

"Everything is black, it's all gone," Janaid said, pointing to the grisly contents throughout the apartment.

Passports remains safe

However, buried under the debris, the brothers came across something very valuable as they sifted through their charred belongings.

Underneath a melted laptop, Mubashar found three passports belonging to himself, his wife and daughter, untouched by the fire. Janaid's passport has been retained with his employer.

"I can't explain it, all I can do is thank God for this gift," Mubashar said.

The passports, however, are a harbinger of more grief in the days to come. Mubashar may have to send his wife and daughter home to Pakistan until he can get back on his feet with his brother's help.

After making optimum use of the charity accommodation provided by Sharjah Charity at the Al Salam hotel, Mubashar said that the family had run out of options yesterday evening.

The total loss for the Seddiqis is believed to top Dh130,000.

The family had not taken out content insurance and all emergency cash was burnt in the blaze.

Vehicle burnt

Mubashar's 2008 Kia Sportage was one among the 17 vehicles destroyed by the fire, but Janaid's four-door Honda Accord escaped the damage and was the only refuge for the Seddiqi family yesterday night.

"I can't afford to pay for hotel accommodation. We don't know what tomorrow will bring," Mubashar said. On a similar note, Janaid said, "We need to start from zero all over again."

Asked what was the way forward in the foreseeable future, both brothers said they would find inexpensive bachelor accommodation and begin saving cash from scratch.

"It will take us a long time to get back to the good life that we once knew," Mubashar said. "But, with God's help, we will find the strength."

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the fire.