Fatal police fire caused by short circuit

A fire in the detention centre of the Dubai Ports police station, which killed an Emirati inmate, was caused by an electrical short circuit.

DUBAI // A fire that broke out in the detention centre of the Dubai Ports police station last Friday, causing the death of an Emirati inmate, was caused by an electrical short circuit, a senior police official said. The malfunction resulted in heavy smoke which spread to the detention facility's cells through the air conditioning system, said Brig Khalil al Mansouri, the head of the Dubai police Criminal Investigation Department. The blaze, which began at about 9pm, led to the death of an inmate in his early 40s who has yet to be identified publicly. The deceased, who had been convicted in drug-related cases, died of suffocation after being transferred to a government hospital, police said. Previous reports suggesting that a group of prisoners had set fire to their detention cell were rejected by Brig al Mansouri. [e-mail]