No sabotage suspected

Fears of criminal sabotage have been dismissed by a number of top insurance companies after a spate of fires witnessed in Sharjah aroused suspicions of foul play.

The incidents have mostly affected small businesses and warehouses based in industrial areas though a number have also flared up in shared business and residential areas.

An official in one of the largest insurance companies admitted an increase in fire compensation claims has been witnessed but brushed aside any talk of deliberate actions saying there was little proof to support such theories.

Sharpest increase

The official, who chose to remain anonymous, picked out Sharjah in particular, as the place with the sharpest increase in fire compensation claims.

However, he insisted that routine police investigations into these matters have turned up nothing suspicious.

"Even if the insurance companies have strong suspicions about a particular case that would not be enough, they have to have strong evidence or they are obliged to pay up by the law," the executive said.

Hit hardest

Any increase in claims and payouts by insurance companies are likely to hit small and medium size businesses hardest in the long term with a rise in insurance premium costs.

Another executive from a well-known insurance brand pointed to the disregard of fire safety regulations as a more possible explanation.

Alarming level

The number of fires in Sharjah has reached such an alarming level that senior officials at the Ministry of Interior and the Civil Defence met recently to tackle the issue.

Some of the proposals that came out of the meeting included the need for all companies to add fire-warning systems at their factories and train the workers on how to handle the fire-fighting equipment.

The meeting also recommended that fire hazardous material be kept contained in safe areas.

The meeting was attended by Brigadier Saif Abdullah Al Shaafar, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior; Butti Salem Al Tunaiji, Director-General of Civil Defence, and Brigadier Ali Nasser Al Fardan, Director-General of Sharjah Police.

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