Abu Dhabi: At least 34 people were injured and two hospitalised after the Khalid-iya building fire on Saturday afternoon, a senior Abu Dhabi Police officer told Gulf News.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Al Nuaimi, head of the Quick Intervention Team, said: "Thirty-four people, including eight firemen, were injured in the fire. No one suffered serious injuries." Most of the victims suffered from smoke inhalation. Some cases of minor burns were recorded as well, he noted.

According to officials, three apartments on two floors of the building were completely gutted while four other apartments were damaged mainly due to smoke.

Fire broke out on the eighth floor of the nine-storey building at 4.15pm, triggering a full-fledged rescue operation that lasted for more than five hours.

Sparks fell from the burning floors to the third floor of the building and the sixth floor of an adjacent building, but these were quickly contained.

Rescue

Hayman Wayne, a senior flight paramedic of the UAE Air Force Rescue and Search team, said seven people were airlifted, one of whom suffered from smoke inhalation. A mobile clinic provided on-site treatment to victims.

A few onlookers at the scene claimed that delayed response by authorities caused the fire to spread. Denying the claims, Al Nuaimi said: "There were many practical hindrances we faced at the scene. The building is very old and lacked a proper alarm system or other facilities."

But despite that, the fire fighters did a commendable job in containing the fire at the right time, he said. "Our response time was good."

He said that the incident was similar to the fire on an Airport Road building on September 16, where 67 people were injured. "Both buildings were old and densely populated, slowing the evacuation process," he said.

The Khalidiya building too had an apartment on the roof. It is not yet clear whether this additional structure was legal.

Investigations are still on to determine the cause of the fire. Currently a report on the incident in addition to damage assessment is being prepared, he said.

Criticising the lack of interest of some landlords in the safety and security of buildings, Al Nuaimi stressed the need to constantly upgrade safety equipment, saying that negligence causes most accidents.