Angry fire victims claim they were kept in the dark

Sharjah: Victims of a huge 25-storey tower fire five days ago are growing increasingly irritated at what they say is a lack of a unified response by owners of Al Baker Tower 4 in Al Taawun area here.

Collective anger yesterday spilled out on to the street on the steps of the residential building as a small gathering of homeless tenants lobbed verbal grenades at Al Baker Real Estate officials for not keeping them informed of the latest developments on the investigation.

Company officials were said to be working with insurance investigators who were combing the fire scene in an apparent effort to size up the damage but tenants said they failed to get answers to any of their questions. No damage estimates have been released by authorities.

As many as 125 families are homeless after a wall of flames engulfed the rear façade of the tower in the early morning hours of Tuesday, a blaze that apparently originated on the first floor.

Authorities are probing the cause and a case has been opened by Sharjah Police as investigators examine the rubble.

Jordanian Bashar Wahdan of flat 103 was visibly upset yesterday after he was denied entry to his flat, only to be told that only insurance claims investigators were allowed inside the building.

A team of maintenance workers dressed in orange jumpsuits were also on standby near the front entrance of Al Baker Tower 4, but it's unclear why they were being brought into the cordoned area.

"My clothes, my wallet and credit cards, they're all up there in my flat. I need these things so I can find a solution to this," Wahdan told Gulf News steps away from his building yesterday.

Wahdan said his company has placed him in a hotel for 10 days until he can find new accommodation, but the hunt for new digs hasn't been made any easier by the building owners.

Ehab Emad of flat 504 said there was no point returning to his flat because the fire destroyed about 90 per cent of his belongings, but he was still pressing for answers yesterday from building managers. "I want to know what are the next steps, but I am getting no answers. I don't know what is going on," he said.

No sprinklers

Mohammad Ebrahim of apartment 2004 said he wants answers to allegations that neither fire alarms nor the emergency sprinkler system worked in the minutes after the fire ripped through the structure.

While building owners claimed in a recent statement that all fire response systems were in working order the morning of the fire, Ebrahim said he heard no alarms and the sprinklers in his apartment did not activate.

"No one saw any water. I was sleeping until 3am as the fire was raging. No water came down in my place to wake me up," Ebrahim said.

Donations to help

Al Qasba, Sharjah's entertainment destination in cooperation with UAE Red Crescent Authority, Sharjah Charity International and Sharjah Sports Club, is organising a charity campaign for the tower-fire families.

Spearheaded by Shaikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and chairperson of Al Qasba Development Authority, it continues until Feb. 4.

The campaign runs from 10am to 11pm daily and will collect material contributions and donations from people, organisations and private companies.

Donations accepted at Block A in front of Dunkin Donuts include clothes, furniture, electronics, household goods and dry foods.

Help is on the way

Al Qasba, Sharjah's entertainment destination in cooperation with UAE Red Crescent Authority, Sharjah Charity International and Sharjah Sports Club, is organising a charity campaign for the Al Baker Tower fire victims.

The campaign, spearheaded by Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shorouq), and Chairperson of Al Qasba Development Authority, continues until February 4.

The campaign runs from 10am to 11pm daily and will collect material contributions and donations from people, organizations and private companies. Donations can be dropped at Block A in front of Dunkin Donuts include clothes, furniture, electronics, household items and dry food.