DUBAI // People living in Jumeirah Lakes Towers have opened their hearts and homes to the victims of the Tamweel Tower blaze.
Pramesh Maheshwari, a resident of X1 tower, said his family had watched the fire early on Sunday from their flat window.
“We were in tears and we really felt for the people watching their homes burning all night,” Mr Maheshwari said. “Our house is small but I know we can accommodate people in this situation.”
He is one of several residents who have posted their offer on the Friends at JLT Facebook page.
And a local hotel has offered 10 rooms for families most in need.
Residents were today asked to check out of hotel apartments where they had been temporarily housed and told they had to pay for their own accommodation for the next month.
Despite the fact that they can claim at least some of the money back eventually, many who had lost passports and credit cards in the blaze said they had no way of paying hotel bills.
So far no residents have taken up the offer but Aarti Khurana Mohan, an active member of the JLT community, said she wanted to let them know of the offer.
“A lot of people can’t afford to pay upfront for hotel accommodation so we want to let them know that there is alternative accommodation available, provided by the community,” Ms Mohan said.
She owns a vacant flat in JLT, which she said could temporarily house a family in trouble.
“It’s a really tight-knit community and we have to pull together to help out people when they are in need,” Ms Mohan said.
Silvia, who lived on the 22nd floor of the 34-floor Tamweel Tower, said the response had been overwhelming.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. “These people who haven’t been directly affected by the fire are all sacrificing their time and money to help people who are in trouble.”
Silvia is staying with friends but has spread the message among the community.
“I know some people have lost everything and have no one here they can rely on,” she said. “These people would definitely appreciate this.”
The fire broke out about 1.30am on Sunday morning and destroyed practically the entire north-facing side of the building. No one was injured.
Civil Defence and police are conducting investigations into the cause, but were not available for comment yesterday.
Every day since the fire, residents have been gathering behind police cordons outside Tamweel Tower hoping to be granted access to claim their belongings.
Stalls have been set up to serve tea, coffee and biscuits, and several members of the community clubbed together to buy their troubled neighbours hot meals from JLT restaurant 800 Thali.
Diane Saroukhan, a 25th-floor resident, said the food had kept her going while she waited several hours to get into her old flat.
“Everyone has been very kind, offering food and water,” Ms Saroukhan said. “There’s a very nice community spirit.”
She said Pets in the City, another JLT company, was offering free day care to the pets of Tamweel Tower residents and had been an invaluable help.
“The majority of hotel apartments won’t let dogs into the rooms, so this has been a lifesaver,” Ms Saroukhan said.
The Ramada Plaza, in Jumeirah Beach Residence, is offering 10 rooms for a week to residents most in need.
“We’re not fully booked and this was the least we could do,” said Michael Zager, the general manager. He said three of the rooms had already been booked.
“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” Mr Zager said. “But we didn’t want to do it on a first-come-first-served basis. We wanted to give the rooms to only those who are in the most need.
"It's just so they have a place to stay while they are getting back on their feet."
mcroucher@thenational.ae
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
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The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
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BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5