SHARJAH // Residents of the Sharjah tower block that was destroyed by fire this week say they are confused and angry at the way their situation has been handled.
A few small groups of tenants from flats below the seventh floor were allowed into the 25-storey Al Baker Tower 4 to pick through the remains of their belongings yesterday before police closed off the building, saying it was unsafe for anyone else to enter.
The cause of the fire, which broke out early on Wednesday, is unknown and police are still investigating.
Tenants said they were unsure when they would be allowed to see what was left of their homes.
"It will be too dark in the evening and tomorrow is a weekend," said Muhanad Taraz.
Dr Jihad Mahmoud, an American visiting his son who lived in the building, said he was dismayed by the situation.
"Why did they tell us to come in the morning when they knew it would not be safe?" Dr Mahmoud asked.
"In the US, I was among the volunteers who helped victims of Hurricane Katrina. We never had weekends off."
Tenants, who claim the building's owners have not been in contact, were questioning the tower's safety system after fire alarms allegedly failed to alert them to the danger.
"The fire started at 2am, but at 3am I was still comfortably sleeping in my apartment on the 20th floor," said Mohamoud Ibrahim.
Management at Al Baker Group have denied reports the building did not comply with fire-safety requirements and that the alarm system was not working. They said annual maintenance was being carried out on safety equipment.
They said the company was trying to minimise the suffering of tenants and had offered to relocate them to another building.
Harouna Nasr, who lives on the 18th floor, blamed firefighters for the fire spreading. Mr Nasr said he was downstairs at 2.30am and crews had not started to tackle the fire, which had reached the third floor.
"When they started they were controlling the fire from the bottom of the building to the top," he said.
One tenant was collecting names and signatures of residents who were willing to take legal action against the building's owners because of the alleged failure in the fire-alert system and for not turning up at the scene to help tenants.
Taqred Musa, a manager at Al Baker Real Estate, which is responsible for the building, said she was at the site at 9am yesterday.
Brig Abdullah Saeed Al Suwaidi, the director general of Sharjah Civil Defence, said the building had been handed over to CID officers to investigate the cause of the fire.
Brig Al Suwaidi said officials from Sharjah Municipality, police and civil defence would meet next week to discuss the investigation.
ykakande@thenational.ae
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Naga
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
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.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins