Residents left without power after fire

Abu Dhabi: Some families living in a building in Khalidiya have been left in the dark for the fourth day after a fire broke out in the electrical room of the building, disrupting the power supply to several floors, residents complained to Gulf News.

Residents living between the fifth and ninth floors claim that with no repairs being done after Saturday's fire, they had no electricity.

One of the affected people, who asked not to be named, said cooking, even at noon, was next to impossible as the kitchen was too dark.

This has forced her to fix lunch by candlelight.

"This is the second fire in the building in less than four months, which points to the poor state of the building," she said.

Last September, 34 people suffered minor injuries when a fire broke out on the eighth floor of this building, located behind Jumbo Electronics on Khalidiya Street.

Though poor fire safety standards in the building were considered possible causes by officials, the owners of the building have yet to comply with recommended safety regulations.

"No repair work is being done and the situation is deteriorating by the day. We would already have moved out had we found another apartment within our budget," she said.

She added that tenants of the building did not have fire extinguishers or fire alarms.

"Since last year's fire, the elevator has been faulty and now it is not functioning, inconveniencing all tenants," said another resident, who also asked not to be named.

The owner of the building could not be reached for comment.