Sharjah fire: Cigarette blamed as flammable cladding to be stripped off 150 buildings

Officials said retrofitting of high-rises would be necessary after a huge tower blaze last week

Sharjah is to replace hazardous cladding on buildings, with work starting this week. Such cladding was cited as the cause of a major blaze at Abbco Tower in the emirate in 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abbco Tower in Sharjah after the massive fire. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abbco Tower the morning after the fire. Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abbco Tower in Sharjah after the massive fire. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abbco Tower in Sharjah was gutted in the fire. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The area around Sharjah's Abbco Tower. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The damaged Abbco Tower after a huge blaze on Tuesday night. The building was fitted with cladding that was banned in 2016. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Families watch as flames spread through their building late on Tuesday night. Several surrounding towers were evacuated as a precaution. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

The fire quickly spread through the building, gutting apartments and sending debris raining down on vehicles below.

Dozens of firefighters and vehicles were at the scene shortly after the fire was first reported about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

Exhausted crews take a brief break and check their equipment.

The fire in Sharjah lit up the night sky.

Buildings in the area are tightly packed together and several were evacuated amid fears the blaze could spread.

Many residents said they did not have home insurance and fear their lost possessions cannot be replaced.

The blaze continued into the night with crews remaining at the scene on Wednesday morning to dampen the building.

Some tenants managed to grab a handful of possessions before fleeing the tower.

Residents watch on as the fire is contained.

The fire in Sharjah was reported after 8.30pm.

Damage to the rear side of the building was not as severe leading some to hope they can recover their belongings.

A police officer collects testimonies from the residents. EPA

Police officers take residents' details as they try to arrange accommodation.

There were more than 300 apartments inside the 48-storey building and many are shared by tenants and families.

Fadlallahie Hassoun cradles his cat after escaping the building.

The building burned for several hours before it was brought under control.

Charity workers from Emirates Red Crescent hand out water and juice and take down details to arrange accommodation.

Families fear they will not be allowed to return to collect belongings for days if not weeks.

Civil Defence forces extinguish the fire. EPA

People stand on a bridge and watch a fire that erupts in a 48-storey residential tower in Sharjah. AFP

Residents of the burning high-rise building look on as fire-fighting efforts continue. EPA

Flammable cladding on as many as 150 buildings in Sharjah will have to be replaced, after it was confirmed to be a major factor in a huge high-rise tower blaze last week.

Police and fire chiefs said widespread retrofitting would be necessary following the blaze in Abbco Tower on May 5.

A type of aluminium composite panel cladding that was widely used during the UAE's construction boom was a significant factor in the speed at which flames spread.

Maj Gen Saif Al Shamsi, head of Sharjah Police, said investigators were "90 per cent" sure the fire was caused by a cigarette butt or shisha coal left in a first floor corridor.

“The fire then spread to one of the apartments on the first floor and quickly spread onto the other ‎floors due to the presence of cladding, which are flammable plates,” ‎Maj Gen Al Shamsi said on Sunday.‎

He said about 100 of the 333 apartments in Abbco Tower have been inspected to date.

Of those, 26 were completely destroyed, 34 suffered smoke and water damage and 40 had damage to their doors. He said 33 vehicles on the street and inside the building suffered damage from flames and falling debris.

No blame or liability has been brought against anyone at this stage.

Maj Gen Al Shamsi said Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, had directed officials to review and replace aluminium composite panel cladding to ensure the safety of residents.

As The National reported last week, the 48-storey, 190-metre tower was constructed with a type of cladding that was banned on new builds nationwide in January 2017.

Builders must now use more expensive non-combustible cladding that better halts the spread of flames.

But the authorities have not until now ordered that older buildings be retrofitted.

Abbco Tower was built in 2005 and opened in 2006, long before the federal fire code was updated.

Colonel Sami Al Naqbi, head of Sharjah Civil Defence, said “a total of 150 old buildings have been listed, and the cladding will be removed".

He did not state how the work would be paid for but said "many owners have responded" already.

The cost stripping cladding from a building and replacing it would be in the millions of dirhams.

The reconstruction and removal of cladding at Dubai Marina's Zen Tower was estimated at Dh25 million, and the building is only 15-storeys high.