At least half a dozen Indians and Indian students have died in the US since the start of 2024.
Five people were killed and 44 injured after a fire broke out at a residential building in Al Nahda on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
Death is believed to be suffocation. Sharjah Police said 17 of the injured were hospitalized and 27 were discharged immediately after treatment.
Sharjah Police Commander-in-Chief Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi said emergency response teams arrived at the scene at 10.50pm and immediately extinguished the fire in record time.
Residents were quickly evacuated from the site and placed in temporary accommodation. With the help of the Emirates Red Crescent, the police have been able to host 156 people, including 18 children between the ages of 1 and 10, in a hotel in the emirate, Major General Al Shamsi added. The necessary health examinations were carried out and all the necessary things were given to the tenants of the building.
Cause Of Fire:
Preliminary investigations showed that one of the embers came into contact with debris left in the hallway, and flames quickly rose through the 39-story tower, which contained 750 apartments, police said.
Thick black smoke quickly engulfed other apartments in the building, they added.
The police urged the public, both owners and tenants, to avoid such incidents.
General Al Shamsi and the Sharjah Police conveyed their deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the fire.
