8-month-old child suffocates to death, three others injured in Abu Dhabi fire

Abu Dhabi: An eight-month-old boy suffocated to death and three others received minor injuries after inhaling smoke when their house caught fire in Baniyas East, in outskirts of the UAE capital, the Civil Defence Department of Abu Dhabi said on Saturday.

Investigations are under way to determine the circumstances and cause of the fire.

The Abu Dhabi Police Central Operations Department received a call about the fire and immediately sent the civil defence rescue teams to the scene.

The civil defence has called for the need to comply with the requirements of fire prevention and safety measures and ensure the maintenance of fire extinguishers.

It also asked people not to gather at the places of accidents and fires, which constitutes a danger to their lives and which hinders the efforts of firefighters and rescue teams.

The crowding at the sites of such incidents blocks the path of civil defence vehicles and ambulances, the department said.