‘Smoke alarms did not go off’

“The smoke alarms did not go off, and since it was early morning, most of the residents were just getting out of bed. By the time we were alerted, corridors were filled with thick smoke. We all had to run out of the building in our night dress,” said some residents of the building.

“I was alerted by my neighbours, but by then, smoke had filled the corridors of the fifth floor. I ran to the fire exit and managed to reach the third floor, but could not go any further as I developed breathing problems. However, some police officials saw me and brought me down to the ground floor in the elevator,” said a tenant.

Around 20 families staying on the sixth and seventh floors were badly affected and many were rescued by firefighters who used ladders to reach those floors.

One expatriate woman who reportedly suffered burns and another woman who had suffered uneasiness in breathing were admitted to the hospital.

An official from the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) services said that building owners should not compromise on the safety aspects.

Safety measures

“Smoke alarms and other fire safety measures should be installed and checked periodically in all the buildings. With a possibility of more such incidents in the future, we will launch a campaign in the next few days to ensure the safety of people,” said the official.

Last week, a residential building in Muttrah also caught fire, but there were no casualties. It took two hours for the fire-fighters to control that blaze.

Meanwhile, a senior official from a national insurance company said that out of the total number of personal properties in Oman less than 10 per cent have been insured.

“To insure your personal property, it will cost only a few rials, but many are reluctant to do so. And when such accidents happen they will be unable to cope with the loss,” said Philip K Philip, group CEO, Muscat National Holding Company. “There are provisions even for tenants to insure his or her flat,” added Philip.