Abu Dhabi: The tenants of a 12-storey Abu Dhabi building that caught fire last Thursday are currently being housed across multiple safe places, including hotels and relatives’ home, Gulf News has learnt.
A source at the Civil Defence Authority further told Gulf News that investigations are still underway to determine the cause of the blaze, which had also spread to the adjacent building in Al Maamoura area.
Swift response
The fire, which broke out on Thursday evening, engulfed the residential building in flames at about 7pm, with emergency response personnel evacuating the structure, and closing down roads and stores in the neighbourhood to ensure public safety. Two residents who sustained minor injuries were hospitalised for treatment, the Civil Defence said earlier in a statement. Stores in nearby buildings were only allowed to reopen the next day, following cooling operations.
Building outlets
The building is located in a popular block in Al Maamoura with many residential and office buildings in the vicinity. It houses a well-loved restaurant, a confectionery store, and two women’s salons, all of which are shut at the moment. The space in front of the building, and its adjacent facility, is still cordoned off and patrolled.
The owner of one of the women’s salons said her outlet, located on the mezzanine floor, has remained mostly unharmed. “The fire started on the opposite side of the building on Thursday evening. One of my staff pointed out the fumes, and we quickly evacuated to safety,” she said.
She added that she had only opened her salon in the building about six months ago. “We are closed at the moment, but I hope it will be safe to reopen soon,” she added.
Widespread evacuation
A worker at a nearby florist’s shop said she had been one of the many people to be evacuated on Thursday evening, even though the outlet is situated in a building across the street. “It was a big fire and it had spread all the way to the top of the building within minutes. There was a wind blowing, and we saw the flames reach the next tower. But by the next morning, when I returned to the store, everything was under control,” she said.
A Mediclinic outpatient facility is housed in a building opposite to the one where the fire broke out. In a statement, Mediclinic said its clinic was safely evacuated. “The fire Al Maamoura district was in a neighbouring building to that which houses Mediclinic’s outpatient clinic in the area. Mediclinic Al Maamoura sustained no damage and all operations have resumed as normal. The team swiftly evacuated the building, ensuring all patients and samples were moved safely. Mediclinic Al Maamoura welcomed its patients and supported them with their health care needs once the facility opened as usual last Saturday,” Mediclinic said.
