Swift Civil Defence action prevents spread of blaze

Jerich Cardinoza opened the door when he heard someone frantically knocking – and was shocked to find a man and a woman, their bodies uncovered and their clothes burnt away.

Cardinoza lives right in front of flat 408 at the Al Attar residential complex in Karama, which was gutted on Saturday night.

The woman was lying on the floor and the man, who had sustained serious burns, was crying for help.

"I called out loudly for help and soon one of the security guards rushed with a fire extinguisher and sprayed foam on them," said Cardinoza.

Meanwhile, someone had called the police who helped calm the panicked residents.

The fire apparently began just after 7pm. The cause is still under investigation. The apartment has been sealed and cordoned off by the police.

The two men and a woman injured are Moroccans and shared the flat with an Indian expatriate. The injured are being treated in Rashid Hospital.

Prompt action from the Civil Defence prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent flats, said residents.

The fire destroyed all the belongings of the Indian expatriate.

"It was a horrifying experience. When I looked at the room later, I couldn't stop myself from crying. I am not sure if I would have been alive if I was there at that time," he said.

The expatriate normally returns home every day at around 7pm.

"But that day I was late because of work at the office. I received the news about the fire at about 8pm. I rushed back home only to find that all my things had been gutted."

He had not locked his room and it was from there that Mustapha Hudheifa, one of the three Morrocans who was severely burned, had jumped down from the window of the fourth-floor flat.

"The thick smoke must have disoriented him and he was unable to find his way out. I remember I had kept the window closed," he said.

The expatriate was questioned by the police.

Franco Villarojo, the building security guard, said the building's fire alarm did not work.

"When someone shouted 'fire! fire!' I rushed for the fire extinguisher and headed for the spot. I saw the two in pain and with multiple burns. By the time I could seek help, the police had already reached the scene."

Dubai Police are investigating the cause of the fire. According to sources, its has not yet been determined whether the blaze was the result of arson or an accident.

The CID at Al Rifaa Police station are still awaiting a report from a forensic expert. The police are waiting for the victims to regain consciousness to get their account of the incident.

According to a Dubai Civil Defence official, it took 13 fire fighters over 40 minutes to battle the blaze.