Dubai: Hundreds of expatriates lost their belongings and identity documents, including passports and degree certificates, in a massive fire that ravaged an old building on Salah Al Deen street on Monday night, residents told Gulf News on Tuesday.
Three blocks of the 40-year-old building were gutted, forcing at least 500 residents out in the cold. The facade of the five-storey building and at least half of the 48 apartments have been destroyed.
On Tuesday morning, more than 12 hours after the fire started after 5pm on Monday, Civil Defence personnel were still busy cooling the burnt apartments and the building remained cordoned off on all sides.
Smoke could still be seen rising out of the windows of the building, which was used both for residential and commercial purposes.
Located opposite Muraqqabat police station, the building comprising six blocks, three of which are safe, is the oldest standing edifice on the busy road.
On Tuesday morning, Abdur Rahman Al Shamsi, the son of the building’s owner, was at the spot to check the damage and meet the affected residents.
“I was here until late last night and I came back again early in the morning. I don’t know what to say. I am still coming to terms with this shocking incident. I don’t what the losses are or what we are going to do after this,” he told Gulf News.
He said his real estate firm is ready to provide whatever help it can to the affected residents. “We understand their loss and we empathise with them. We have also lost a lot and we are trying to figure out how we can overcome this together,” Al Shamsi said.
However, since the building was not insured, there is no hope of either the building owner or the tenants getting any compensation.
The losses are expected to be in the millions as several businesses have also been affected.
The office of Federal Insurance Services and Consultancy has been located there ever since the building opened four decades ago. “We were in office last evening when the fire started but we were not aware of the scale of the damage after we left. When I came back in the morning I saw that everything was gone. Our office is on the second floor of Block C and we still don’t know the extent of the damage and whether we can retrieve anything,” said M.D. Alva, executive director of Federal Insurance.
Another affected executive, who was hanging around the fire site was Idris, who works as a PRO at a transport firm based in the building.
“From what I can gather, everything in our office is gone. It is totally gutted. Thankfully, all the passports of our employees are safe as they were in my car. Everything else is gone,” said Idri, whose office is located on the third floor of the building.
Most residents who spoke to Gulf News had lost all their belongings, including their passports and other important documents.
Tutin Tapuyat, who has been in Dubai for seven years, lost everything he had, including his cash, passport and degree certificates. “I come from a humble background and I don’t earn much here. I put a lot of effort in saving whatever I could. Now everything, all my life’s earnings, have gone up in smoke. All my credentials and certificates have gone. Overnight I have gone back to zero,” said the sales executive.
Cherry Lyn, who came on a visit visa to look for a job and was staying with her sister, said, “I am scheduled to go back home today. My flight is booked but I have lost my passport and all my documents. I don’t know what to do now,” she said, holding back tears.
Hundreds of affected residents huddled together behind the burnt building, all with the same stories of loss and horror, but hope in their eyes that the government will come to their rescue.
