Residents that fled a blazing Dubai Marina tower on Friday have recounted their ordeal as the community rallies round to help.
They described friends and fellow residents banging on doors warning of a fire as the smell of smoke descended through Marina Pinnacle tower.
Some even had no idea about the blaze until residents of neighbouring towers warned them.
Video footage seen by The National shows rows of people descending down the stairs in the building known informally as “Tiger tower".
Dubai Media Office on Saturday said the blaze affected the upper floors of the “67-storey” building and was brought under control in "six hours".
All 3,820 residents from 764 apartments were moved to safety and there were no injuries, the media office said.
Emergency services were still at the scene on Sunday with the site locked off.
A growing support network
At Dubai Marina on Sunday, the community was stepping up efforts by helping to find accommodation, supplying meals, sourcing clothes and even reuniting pets.
A WhatsApp group dedicated to the effort has amassed at least 1,000 members.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known and it is still not clear when residents will be able to return. Some are being housed in nearby hotels, while others are staying with friends and family.
Jennifer Lucero said she was resting on her bed when a fellow resident banged on the door warning of a fire. She thought it was a drill until she went outside her room and smelt smoke.
“I’m panicking but I have to be strong,” she told The National. “I can still smell the smoke." Ms Lucero battled her way out by using the staircase and then the lift. "You don’t know what to do," she said.
Juliet Galope, another resident of the tower, said residents of adjacent buildings called to warn of the blaze.
Ms Galope said at around 9:30pm they tried to leave using the staircase but heavy smoke prevented them and they managed to escape through the lift.
She has since been put up in a hotel near Global Village. Others have gone to accommodation in Deira and Sharjah. It is not clear if all those affected have been accommodated.
“They [have] given us free food and some are donating clothes and other essentials,” said Ms Galope.
Catalina Dumitru, a resident of the adjacent Torch Tower, said she saw smoke just after 9pm on Friday and immediately thought of her two friends and cat in the building.
“I called my two friends and said, 'you better come over to my place'."
Ms Dumitru said she counted at least 18 fire lorries and paid tribute to the firefighters who made unrelenting efforts to extinguish the blaze. “They gave 120 per cent to put this out. They did everything they could.”
However, many residents do not know when they can return. “We don’t know who to ask,” said Ms Lucero, who is currently with a friend. “My worry now is where to stay.”
The road to recovery
The owners association, meanwhile, thanked Dubai Civil Defence for controlling the fire.
“The owners association managing Marina Pinnacle Tower has announced the provision of alternative accommodation for owners residing in the tower whose units were affected by the recent fire,” it said in a statement.
“The association expressed its deep sorrow over the incident, stating that it has responded to the directives of the concerned authorities to provide temporary housing for the affected residents. It also confirmed that it has initiated contact with the insurance company to complete the necessary procedures in such cases.
“The Marina Pinnacle Owners Association extended its sincere thanks to the Dubai Civil Defence teams for their tremendous efforts in controlling the fire, carrying out the cooling operations, and ensuring the safety of all residents.”
It is believed this was sent to owners and not tenants. It is also understood some of the rooms in the building were partitioned into bed spaces.
A note sent to residents by the property management company and seen by The National also expressed its "sincere regret" at the incident and stated the fire had been brought under control with no one injured.
"We also inform you that, as the property management company, we have relocated a number of affected residents to a temporary hotel until the situation is restored to normal."
It also gave advice on how to access emergency accommodation and told people to bring a title deed if owner and a tenancy contract if renting.
Ms Dumitru said the community spirit in Dubai following the blaze was noteworthy.
"I was extremely impressed. People provided food and water for firefighters in front of my building. We have collected donations such as food and clothes and shoes."
Fibber Magee's, which has outlets on Sheikh Zayed Road and Barsha, offered a free meal to those affected.
“We hope all those impacted by the Marina fire this weekend have been taken care of and are in good hands,” it said in a post on social media.
“Anyone facing a tough time or needs an escape; there’s a table, meal and drink for you; free of charge at Fibbers SZR or Barsha.”
The Roads and Transport Authority on Sunday said tram services between Dubai Marina Station and Palm Jumeirah Station have resumed normal operations after being temporarily suspended due to the blaze.
In the meantime, the insurance companies and investigators are set to assess the cause and plan the next steps for residents.
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
