Sharjah: A massive fire broke out through the 47-storey Abbco Tower in Al Nahda in Sharjah on Tuesday night. The fire ripped through the 190-metre residential tower at 9:04 pm, according to Sharjah Civil Defence teams. As many as 250 families have been evacuated from the tower. Fire Fighters were engaged to douse the fire in the tower.
The reason of fire is yet to be ascertained. According to eyewitnesses, the blaze erupted in a building next to Taj Bangalore restaurant, Khaleej Times reported. The fire that went all the way to the upper floors-was a terrifying sight for many. Meanwhile, high-rise of fire and debris flying about was alarming and the tenants paced down thousands of steps to save themselves. Though the fire crews managed to save the building near the Sharjah-Dubai border in three hours, but it seems that the building has suffered massive damage.
The fire also damaged several cars parked in the parking area, as debris and flames were blown on to them by strong winds. Moreover, many have left behind hard-to-replace documents and ID and fear they have lost many of their possessions. Several people were injured by the time the blaze went out, reported Reuters.
Though there were reports on social media claiming Indians residing in the tower, it is not clear whether there are any Indians residing in the residential tower. A statement from the Indian Embassy in UAE is awaited.
Civil Defence crew from Mina fire station and Al Nahda rushed to the spot to control the blaze after the police operation room received a call reporting flames in the building.
The Sharjah Civil Defence has been working hard to improve their response time, increasing the number of fire stations across the emirate. While the target is to reach an incident site at 5.5 minutes, they were able to reach Abbco at 6 minutes.
When they arrived, flames had been spreading rapidly. But because residents quickly dialled the emergency hotline, the authorities were able to save the tenants, as well as their neighbours.
"In many cases, people try to put out the fire themselves and delay calling the Civil Defence, which is dangerous and causes causalities and loss of properties," Col Sami Al Naqbi of the emirate's police said.
Evacuations started right away. Police cordoned off the area and drones were flown to ensure that there would be no one left behind.
"The two drones operated by the smart patrol also provided firefighters with a clear picture of what was happening inside the building," Col Al Naqbi said.
In 10 minutes, the evacuation was completed.
The moment firefighters were sure that all tenants were already outside, they began controlling the fire using a chemical foam, the best solution used to extinguish flames caused by highly flammable substances.
Nearly three hours later, fire out was declared and the site was handed over to the police for investigation.
Cooling operations started at 12 am and continued till 6 am the next day.
Five buses were used to transport the tower's tenants to two hotels in Sharjah, said Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the emirate's police.
Residents were also provided with food and water and were asked to stay in the hotels until the probe is completed and the safety of the building is ensured.
(With Agency Inputs)