Over dozen killed in Dubai apartment building fire

A fire swept through an apartment building in an older neighbourhood of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing at least 16 people and injuring another nine, authorities said.

The blaze Saturday in the Al Murar area of Dubai's historic Deira neighbourhood struck a five-story apartment believed to have been shared by multiple individuals, a common practice for labourers working in the city. But the tight quarters, often subdivided by makeshift barriers of plywood, drywall or shower curtains, can become a major risk in fires.

The state-linked newspaper The National cited a statement from Dubai Civil Defense provided by the city-state's Dubai Media Office for the death toll.

On Sunday, char marks could be seen on the apartment building, home also to a grocery store, a smoke shop and other businesses on its ground floor. Yellow police crime scene tape cordoned off the building, which also still had a heavy police presence.

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Investigation underway

A man working nearby at the time of the blaze put the start of the fire at just after noon Saturday. He said that there had been an explosion, like from a gas cylinder catching fire, followed by thick black smoke, adding that neighbours believed people were asleep inside at the time.

The Dubai Civil Defense statement, cited by The National, described the fire as starting on the fourth floor. The char marks could be seen on the fifth floor, where glass appeared to have been blown out by the blaze.

"Preliminary investigations showed that lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire," the statement reportedly said. 

"Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident."

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