RAK kindergarten pupils rescued after fire in school theatre

Fire and rescue teams respond to blaze in Al Worood school

Ras Al Khaimah civil defence said that 176 pupils were evacuated during a fire at a kindergarten.

A fire broke out at a kindergarten school in Dahan, Ras Al Khaimah, on Monday leading to the rescue of a number of children.

The Ministry of Education said the pupils were led to safety from a theatre that is part of the school.

“The Ministry of Education confirms the safety of our students at Al Worood kindergarten in RAK after a fire broke out in the theatre,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.

“Civil defence teams managed to deal with the fire very quickly and in a record time while the pupils were evacuated immediately to ensure their safety."

Civil defence said 176 pupils aged between four and five and 25 staff members, made up teachers and cleaners, were at the kindergarten when the fire broke out.

No injuries were reported and the fire was extinguished using water and foam, while a machine was used to expel smoke.

Hana Al Naqbi, deputy manager of the kindergarten, said: “We heard the fire alarm at around 9am and the children were immediately [removed] from the building.”

“The theatre is located outside the main building and the children were in their classes.

"The theatre burned out completely and all the equipment was damaged.”

She said she believed an electrical fault might be the cause of the fire, although this has not yet been confirmed by civil defence.

Pupils were sent home after the incident and school management have not yet decided whether they will attend classes on Tuesday or not.

“We will inform the families of the children if we will open our doors tomorrow,” said Ms Al Naqbi.

The incident case has been handed to RAK police.