Tenants have finally begun to collect their belongings from a residential building in Abu Dhabi rocked by a deadly gas blast nearly two months ago. Three people were killed, two restaurants destroyed and hundreds left homeless in the ground floor explosion on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Road, known locally as Airport Road, on the morning of August 31. Investigations found the accident was caused by a misalignment in the gas container fittings after the building was refuelled. Emirates Red Crescent came forward to cover the cost of accommodation of more than 200 people who were left temporarily homeless. Police have remained on guard outside the building – covered in a large sheet of green cloth – ever since, with only maintenance workers permitted to enter. On Sunday, however, dozens of residents lined up to pick up items they were forced to leave behind when the apartment complex was evacuated. It is not known when it will be safe for them to return permanently. Rostim Mohammed, a store owner who lived on the building's first floor along with six of his workers, waited for his turn to enter. He said officials allowed people to enter the building one by one, starting with those who lived on the highest floors. Mr Mohammed owns the Green House grocery store which is located two buildings away from the explosion site. “I picked up all of our passports, some clothes and some notebooks where we kept the store’s accounts,” he said, after he was allowed to enter in the evening. “When it happened nobody was able to take anything, no mobile phones no clothes, they were alarmed and rushed down barefoot." The blast instantly killed two Filipino people and another from Sri Lanka succumbed to injuries later. A KFC, neighbouring Hardee's and other shops near by were destroyed. “I heard a strong bang, like the earth was shaking, and I saw smoke outside," said Mr Mohammed who was in his store at the time. “Then some tiles fell off the ceiling. I went out to see what was going on. I saw a man covered with blood walking towards me." Mr Mohammed was eager to check on his flat-mates, who were still sleeping. “I held my phone to call, but I couldn’t focus and punch any number.” Eventually, he managed to call his nephew who was inside the flat. “Two rooms remained intact, but in the third room the glass on the window shattered and fell on my nephew’s bed. Thank God he had just got up a minute earlier and gone to the bathroom.” Jehan Ameen, one of the store workers, had gone back to the apartment when the gas leak ripped through the building. “I was on duty in the store, but went back home to use the washroom,” said the 24-year-old, from Sri Lanka. “A tile from the ceiling fell on my arm, and I was injured for some time.” Another flat-mate, Mohammed Irfan, 23, was sleeping under a window when the glass shattered. “It went inside his feet,” said his older brother Mohammed Bilal. “It was very minor. They removed the glass in the hospital.” The sheer force of the blast sent shards of glass flying as far as three buildings away, said workers at Ochado Bubble Tea Café. “At first we thought it was an earthquake, the menu board [over the cash counter] fell, and the tiles were dislodged because the blast shook from under the ground,” said Mark Louie, 32, a barista at the cafe. “We saw the broken glass flying outside our door. “I went outside and saw people waking out of the smoke and collapsing. They were suffocating from the smoke.” His colleague, Erlie Lico, felt fortunate not to be caught up in the incident. “I live nearby, and I walk every morning before 10am from beside that building to come to work,” said the 31-year-old Filipina. The blast occurred at about 9:45am. “So around the same time that I normally walk by,” she said. “I was off that day, so did not walk my usual path.” She said she was woken by a loud bang, initially believing it was thunder. “Then I saw a message from my roommate who was already awake. “I thanked my God that it was not my time.” Ms Lico said she was still shaken by her close escape. “Every time I pass by that building I feel goose bumps."
