Fire in Dubai Apartment Building Kills 16 and Injures 9

Publish date: Sunday، 16 April 2023

Authorities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, reported a fire in an older neighborhood that killed at least 16 people and injured nine more after it swept through an apartment building.

On Saturday, a fire broke out in Dubai's Deira neighborhood in the Al Murar area. The affected building was a five-story apartment that was likely shared by several people, which is a common practice for laborers who work in the city and support its economy. However, such living arrangements can be dangerous in case of a fire because the living spaces are often divided into smaller sections using makeshift materials such as plywood, drywall, or shower curtains.

According to an Indian social worker named Naseer Vatanappally, four people have been identified in connection with the fire in Dubai's Deira neighborhood. These individuals include a couple from Kerala and two men from Tamil Nadu who worked in the building, as well as three Pakistani cousins and a Nigerian woman.

The apartment building affected by the fire in Dubai's Deira neighborhood was still visible with char marks on its exterior on Sunday. The building also housed a grocery store, a smoke shop, and other businesses on its ground floor.

The area around the building was cordoned off with yellow police crime scene tape and had a heavy police presence. Despite the fire incident, massive Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s belonging to Emirates, the long-haul carrier, continued to fly overhead as the neighborhood is located just 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Dubai International Airport, along its flight path.

Fire in Dubai Apartment Building Kills 16 and Injures 9

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