Sharjah blaze: 1 cigarette that 'burnt' 2,500 people

Sharjah civic and fire officials have yet to release an official statement on the cause of the fire that destroyed the 40-storied Al Tayer building in Al Nahda, Sharjah.

However, the early consensus among officials and residents is that a single cigarette butt thrown carelessly on to a pile of paper cartons on the first floor started the blaze.

“While only a detailed forensic report will confirm this, residents are convinced that a cigarette butt was thrown carelessly on to a pile of paper cartons kept on the first floor of the building.

“A similar fire in the Al Bakr Tower 4 in Sharjah was also caused by a carelessly thrown out cigarette butt that affected the lives of hundreds of residents,” one official said on the condition of anonymity .

If that is indeed proved correct, then it would be fair to say that a single cigarette butt destroyed hundreds of flats, displaced 2,500 residents and cost millions of dirhams in damages.

“It is unfortunate that such a silly act by a careless person has caused such huge damage,” said a resident who did not wish to reveal his name.

“It is pathetic... a cigarette butt causing millions of dirhams in losses, destruction of valuables and disruption of life,” fumed another resident.

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“The fire alarm system in the tower used to ring whenever someone was smoking in the corridors. On Saturday it was ringing. Someone must have thrown a cigarette butt or was surely smoking,” said a resident, aware of the situation.

“Initially we ignored the alarm thinking it was a false one,” he added.

Meanwhile, most residents spent their second night out with friends, in hotel apartments or in a temporary tent erected by Red Crescent.

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“I did not go to work today because I don’t have my clothes. My two children did not attend school because their books and uniforms are in vacated apartment,” said Mohammed Mozambil, a resident of the fire-affected portion of Al Tayer Tower.

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