It was close to midnight when several residents in Dubai's Baniyas Square noticed 'thick, black smoke' rising from a hotel near the Naif area on Friday.
Eyewitnesses reported that a fire might have started around 11.55pm, and within minutes, fire trucks and emergency response teams were on the scene.
The Dubai Media Office confirmed on Saturday morning that two people had died from suffocation in the hotel fire accident.
Khaleej Times visited the area on Saturday and spoke with eyewitnesses who described the 'chaos' that followed the fire outbreak.
'I suddenly heard screams,' said a resident who owns an electronics shop nearby. He was supposed to close his store at 11pm but, being Friday, more customers were arriving, so he stayed open for an extra half hour.
He was about to close up when he heard the commotion. 'When I stepped out to see what was happening, I couldn’t make out much and went back inside to lock up. But just minutes later, the screams intensified. I saw two windows had shattered, and thick smoke was coming out. People were screaming from those windows,' he said.
Another witness, Sharif (name changed upon his request), was walking home from work when he saw fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars heading towards the area.
'As I got closer, I saw the whole road cordoned off, and even pedestrians were being redirected to other lanes,' he said.
Sharif noted that he saw thick smoke billowing out of the hotel's windows, though the fire itself wasn't visible.
'When I approached the building, many windows were shattered, and smoke was pouring out,' said Sharif.
'I watched as the police and civil defence personnel entered the building in full gear. They managed to quickly move people to safety,' he said.
'A huge crowd gathered on the streets. I went home around 12.45 am, and the entire street appeared to be closed until Fajr prayers.'
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
