A minor fire broke out in the telephone room of a residential building in Dubai’s Sufouh area late evening yesterday, and no injuries have been reported.
Residents of Pearl Residence building in the Sufouh area were alarmed by the smell of smoke trickling through their apartment doors a little after 11pm last evening.
“I opened my door and saw smoke coming from the ceilings. At first I called the building management, but after a negligent reaction from their side I informed Civil Defense, which quickly came to the location,” says John Shenton, a British resident living on the 6th floor.
Civil Defense confirmed the incident, saying that it was an electrical fire that erupted in the telephone room, where cable work had caught flame.
“It was a small fire that did not spread, but the smoke spread to several floors,” said a spokesperson at Civil Defense Dubai, who received a phone call about the fire at 11.35pm.
“Residents were evacuated and there were no injuries,” he added.
After the fire was extinguished, residents were allowed back into their apartments and peace was restored. So it seems, but frustrated residents are not at peace at all.
“There were no fire alarms and no working sprinkler system,” said an angry John. “I went to several levels when it became apparent the fire alarms on my level were not working. If I had not smelled the smoke, I might not have been alarmed at all.”
A report from Civil Defense and Dubai Police is awaited for more information.