Dubai: Workers living in the bachelor accommodation that burnt down on Tuesday morning were left to take shelter on the streets or in parks, as they have no alternative place to go.

People could be seen yesterday with sombre faces walking around in bewilderment, as they tried to get their lives back on track after losing their homes and all their possessions.

More than 700 people had been living in the two-storey accommodation at Naif. Residents said up to 20 people stayed in a room. There were approximately 40 rooms in the building.

In the aftermath of Tuesday's fire, workers were forced to sleep on pavements, using cardboard as mattresses.

"I lost all my belongings in the fire and have nowhere else to go. The police did not let me take out anything from the building," said Sarfraz Hussain, a Bangladeshi.

He said the building was full of illegals and low-income earners because of the low rent, which was Dh600 per bed space. "It was agony trying to get out because the staircase was very narrow. An airconditioning unit was in the middle of the staircase, and we had to jump over it and push each other out of the way," said Hussain.

Narrating the ordeal, Hussain said he witnessed an explosion when he was out on the streets. "Many people were still trapped inside when I heard an explosion and the glass windows shattered. My roommate died there, and I saw people jumping out."

Faisal Maha, a neighbour, said it is normal to see overcrowded accommodation in the area.

Residents from the burnt-out building said their room had bed space for three but was occupied by 20 people at a time.

Mohammad Ayoub, a Bangladeshi tailor, said he is taking shelter at a nearby park along with 14 others who lost their belongings in the fire. "I think everything I had got burnt and was lost," he said, staring at the gutted rooms.

By Mariam M. Al Serkal and Syed Bilal Shafi, Staff Reporters

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