No injuries reported after fire at Abu Dhabi residential building

Fire ripped through the 6th floor of an apartment block in Al Falah Street, Abu Dhabi. Despite the ferocity of the blaze no one was injured. Ravindranath K / The National

ABU DHABI // Civil Defence are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out on the fifth floor of an apartment building on Al Falah Street on Sunday.

The blaze, which started at about 3pm, quickly spread across the fifth floor and up to an apartment on the floor above.

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence brought the fire under control less than an hour after residents reported the blaze and fled the 11-storey building. There were no injuries reported.

Rab Nawaz Mohammed Azeem Khan, 52, who lives on the fifth floor, said he was sleeping when the fire started and was awakened by the sound of ambulances and fire engines.

“I don’t know what has happened,” he said.

“We were asked to quickly leave the building.”

No cause for the fire was immediately given. Police are conducting further investigations. Resident Saddam Rasool, 23, from Pakistan, said he believed a discarded cigarette inside the room or thrown outside to the balcony may have started the fire. “Thank God, we’re all safe,” he said. “I want to go up but we’re not allowed to go inside.”

Another resident, Abdul Latif, an Indian who works as a public relations officer, said he tried to get inside the building but was prevented by police and civil defence teams. “I’m off today and it’s really hot outside,” he said.