Dubai: A devastating fire that broke out on Tuesday morning tragically claimed the lives of eight family members after their house went up in flames.
According to social media reports, the blaze broke out at a villa in the residential area of Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi.
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A short audio-clip quickly circulated on social networking sites across the UAE, where the home owner, identified as Ali Badawi Al Kotheiri, narrated the details of the horrific event.
“Eight people died in our house, including two of my daughters,” said Al Kotheiri in the online video clip.
Funeral prayers will be held later today after Asr prayers at Maqbara Mosque in Bani Yas. The victims were identified as two women and six children.
The home owner's wife remains under observation in hospital.
Mohammad Al Kotheiri, a relative of the deceased, also talked to a news channel confirming the incident. The fire erupted on the ground floor of the two-storey house, he said, which led to the victims' suffocation.
Condolences poured over social media as residents across the nation offered their prayers to the heartbroken survivor.
#فاجعه #بني ياس pic.twitter.com/Bxj2bayBnm
— remani🐰 (@remani45) October 2, 2018
Abu Dhabi Police confirmed that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire that claimed eight lives of the Emirati family.
“A fire broke out at a villa in Bani Yas East 7 on Tuesday morning, which claimed the lives of eight people and left one person with moderate injuries. All victims belonged to one family,” said Abu Dhabi Police.
“We express deep regret for the unfortunate and painful incident, and express our deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to their families,” said police in a statement.
Brigadier General Mohammad Mayouf Al Kitbi, Director General of Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi, confirmed that an investigation are currently underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Brig Gen Al Kitbi also urged residents to ensure that maintenance on fire extinguishers are regularly carried out, and called on the need for home owners to comply with prevention and safety regulations as per recommended by the Ministry of Interior.
Since the beginning of 2018, the UAE has taken an immense stride to securing residents’ homes against house fires following the orders of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The nation wide campaign was launched following one of the most deadliest fires witnessed in the UAE.
Last January, the country mourned the deaths of seven siblings who were killed in a house fire at the village of Rul Dhadna in Fujairah. The mother of the victims was the sole survivor.
After carrying out a swift investigation, Fujairah Police attributed the deadly fire to faulty living room lights, which sparked flames that subsequently spread to other areas of the house.
The shocking incident prompted UAE rulers and ministries to launch a campaign to quickly link fire early warning systems in residences and villas with the Civil Defence’s operation rooms.
But only one month later, in February, Gulf News reported yet another deadly fire that killed five people, including a mother and her two children, after a blaze erupted in an apartment building in Sharjah’s Al Buteenah area.
In March 2018, the Ministry of Interior confirmed that it rolled out an efficient fire-safety plan across all residential and commercial buildings in the UAE. Within five years, all homes will be linked to the central operation rooms of civil defence authorities in the UAE.
