'Many of us are sleepless': Residents of fire-hit Dubai Marina tower await answers

Praise for firefighters and Civil Defence crews as building remains closed

People outside Marina Pinnacle tower on Monday. The National

Residents of Dubai’s Marina Pinnacle tower were waiting on Monday for news of when they can return to the fire-stricken building.

Groups of people, many of them visibly emotional, waited on the footpaths outside the charred high-rise for updates. Streets around the building, informally known as “Tiger tower”, were still cordoned off and scores of fire engines, water lorries and emergency workers remained at the scene.

The smell of smoke was strong and the building had severe scorch marks on several sides. Damage was pronounced at the top of the tower where the fire began. Authorities said 3,800 people were evacuated from the 67-storey building during the blaze, which began on Friday night with residents reporting repeated flare-ups in the hours after.

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“Many of us are sleepless,” said Denis, one of the building’s residents, who is originally from the UK. He would not share his surname.

He said Civil Defence crews managed to reach his room on the 52nd floor and found his passport and heavily smoke-damaged laptop, but “three bedrooms of the four-bedroom apartment are entirely burnt”. “My roommates likely lost everything,” he added.

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Another resident waiting outside the building said he was hoping to hear news about his documents inside. “We are just waiting for updates,” said Raju, an Indian resident who also wouldn't share his surname, who was at the high-rise with a friend. “They're asking us to come back.”

Raju’s employer had provided him with a place to stay but his documents were still inside. “That’s why we are waiting here,” he said.

All residents who spoke to The National praised firefighters for their rapid response, those crews going in to retrieve items and the generosity of people who were donating food, supplies and offering accommodation. Many residents were also taken to hotels in the immediate aftermath of the fire but it is not clear if all affected were provided with a room.

“I stayed in a four-star hotel,” said Igor, a resident originally from Russia who lived above the 50th floor. “They give you food, drink, breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

'Helpless and heartbroken'

Igor, who was also reluctant to share his surname, said he didn’t know when he could return, though his landlord has said the apartment is safe. “Updates have been through the WhatsApp group,” he said, referring to a support group established after the blaze that now has more than a thousand members.

“The WhatsApp group has a lot of helpless and heartbroken people looking for answers,” said Denis. “We want to be able to access the building to retrieve any belongings that we have left and be sure it is safe to access. The amount of people who have lost everything is crazy.”

He said only the Civil Defence were accessing the building and that people were queuing for “five hours” to ask them if it was possible to enter, but that it depended on the safety of their particular floor and other factors.

While a cause for the fire has not yet been established and the investigation continues, most residents said they were alerted to the fire by seeing it themselves, through fellow residents or by a call or message from someone outside the building.

In a note sent to residents by the property management company and seen by The National, it said the building remains “unfit for safe occupancy as assessments and restoration efforts are still ongoing”.

“The safety and well-being of all residents remains a top priority, and we are closely following updates from the concerned building management and relevant authorities,” it said. It is believed some rooms in the building had been converted into bed-space partitions.

Residents of the tower have also praised the outpouring of community support for helping them get through a traumatic few days. “It has really brought the community together,” said Denis. “That was really beautiful.”

Nitya Prakhar, who was staying in a short-term let on the 25th floor, expressed similar sentiments. “You see this T-shirt, this bag, the food that I'm eating right now, the money that I have – everything was given to me … by the people,” he said. “They gave me everything that I would need to live a decent life.”

Mr Prakhar said his passport was still inside and that although he hasn’t been able to get in yet but, he is thankful. “l'm so grateful for the support of everyone,” he said. “Thank you so much, it really really means a lot to us.”