AJMAN // The fire that killed a mother, her three daughters and two housemaids was caused by an electrical fault in their villa's air-conditioning unit.
Sparks caused by faulty wiring set fire to curtains and furniture, which were made of flammable materials, fire and forensic investigators have established.
The flames, fanned by the AC, quickly spread through the villa in Al Hamideyah in Ajman city.
Haleema Mubarak, a widow, her daughters Maryam, 7, Nouf, 14 and Mouza, 11, and their Indonesian and Ethiopian housemaids died in the blaze on Tuesday morning. Mrs Mubarak's son Amer Ahmed, 15, jumped to safety from a first floor window.
Dozens of neighbours and other residents of Al Hamideyah visited Mrs Mubarak's father's home in the Musheiref area of Ajman yesterday to offer their condolences.
Mohammed Mubarak, her brother, said: "We have erected a tent to receive condolences for three days as instructed by the Islamic religion."
The six victims of the fire all died from the effects of smoke inhalation. Brig Ali Alwan, director general of Ajman Police said: "The investigators' report revealed the fire was caused by short circuits in the air conditioning system due to a wrong wire connection.
"The spark of fire fell on the curtains, which were made of flammable material, and because of the air from the other air-conditioning unit the flames quickly spread and reached the furniture, which caused massive smoke leading to the suffocation of family members who were sleeping.
"The mother woke up and tried to call police. Before hanging up the phone she was hit by smoke and flames and died of suffocation."
Mrs Mubarak's emergency call was made at 8.56am, and fire and resuce crews arrived at the scene six minutes later, guided by the plumes of smoke from the villa.
Firefighters found the bodies of Mrs Mubarak and the two maids on the ground floor of the villa. The bodies of the girls were found in their bedroom on the first floor.
The sole survivor, Amer, was discharged from Sheikh Khalifa hospital in Ajman on Tuesday after being examined and given the all-clear by doctors
"He had also inhaled some smoke but was treated and he was fine," said Hamad Taryam Al Shamsi, the hospital's director general. "We then handed him to his uncle from Ras Al Khaimah so he could go join his relatives in mourning."
The family's bodies were laid to rest on Tuesday evening in accordance with Islamic tradition. The bodies of the two maids are still at the Ajman police forensic laboratory as authorities make preparations for their burial or repatriation.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Minister of Interior, has sent his condolences to the family and is co-ordinating any help they need.
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
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Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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