'I thought it was a bomb' says eyewitness to Al Quoz fire
'I thought it was a bomb'
Ameer Pineda was driving to work this morning when he heard a loud explosion in the Al Quoz area of Dubai.
"I was terrified. My ears popped. I thought it was a bomb"
Ameer, a Filipino national, claims to be the first person to call 999.
He leaves home for work at 6:45 am every day.
When he reached the Al Quoz area at around 7.10am, "I heard a loud explosion and saw the first mushroom of smoke, so I immediately called the police."
Mr Pineda took some pictures, with shaking fingers.
"I gathered my wits together and called a fire marshal who is my childhood friend. He was extremely busy, so we hope to meet for lunch today to discuss this."
The 44-year-old father of two, has lived in the UAE for the last 20 years but has never experienced anything like this first hand.
"I have taken the day off from work because I am in too much shock," he said.
When the news broke, his worried brother called to check on him because he knows Ameer works in Al Quoz.
"In my panic I have even forgotten to call and inform my wife who is at home in Rashidiya. I think I'll need a day to settle my wits," he said.
