Tenant finds stranger going through personal items

Sharjah: Imagine one fire victim's shock when he returned to his burnt-out flat in Al Baker Tower 4 and discovered a stranger rummaging through his personal effects.

The unidentified resident told Gulf News that when he re-entered his premises on Wednesday, a man was allegedly inside, looking through the resident's personal pile of gold savings that had survived the blaze.

The resident said he immediately called the Sharjah Police.

Contacted by Gulf News on Thursday, Sharjah Police declined to comment on any ongoing investigations linked to the fire.

The probe, meanwhile, continues into the January 24 early morning fire that swept across the rear facade of Al Baker Tower 4 in Al Taawun area.

Residents interviewed by Gulf News believe the fire started on the first residential floor and then quickly spread, morphing into a wall of flames that reached the top of the building.

The heat from the blaze was so intense that it destroyed 14 cars nearby.

Search for a new pad

The fire has left 125 families homeless and searching for permanent accommodation near Al Taawun, where victims claim that rental rates have jumped by more than 10 per cent almost overnight. There's been no word by Sharjah authorities whether landlords found overcharging fire victims could be punished.