Al Barsha fire: Residents evacuate building, stay with friends after blaze
Several residents of Al Zarooni Building in Al Barsha that caught fire on Tuesday stayed with friends overnight.
Rob, a Filipino expat who lives on the first floor of the building, told Khaleej Times that his friend, who lives a few metres away from his residence, gave him a place to stay for the night.
The affected building is a few metres away from the parking lot of Mall of the Emirates, and about 100 metres away from the residential building that caught fire on December 30 last year.
'We heard a loud explosion at about 8.40pm,' Rob said. 'We immediately went down, and the fire was on the other side of the building."
Authorities said the fire was caused by a gas leak in a restaurant located on the ground floor of the building. A photo shared by the force showed significant damage to the Pearl View Restaurant, which had its windows shattered and interiors severely impacted.
Eyewitnesses said the fire and fumes reached up to the third floor.
'We are worried about the staff and customers of the restaurant. It was still dinner time and usually the restaurant is packed with diners,' another resident added.
Meanwhile, Kenyan expat Martha said her friend was rushed to the hospital after inhaling smoke. 'Her flatmates said they could feel the heat on the floor and they live on the third floor.'
Sharon, another Filipina who lives in the affected building, said she was already about to sleep when the fire broke. 'I was jolted from the bed. I thought there was an earthquake. I called my friends and we hurried downstairs.
'We saw shards of glass everywhere and some people were injured,' she added.
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