Faulty electrics in villa led to tragic fire deaths of eight Emiratis

Abu Dhabi Police investigators urge city residents to have their wiring checked regularly after blaze in Baniyas

The charred inside of the villa that was engulfed in flames in Baniyas on Tuesday, October 2. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Police

A fire that led to the deaths of eight Emiratis was caused by faulty electrics in the main living room of their villa, police said on Saturday.

Five children and three adults died when a blaze took hold of the building in Baniyas on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi early on Tuesday morning. Three families lived together in the home.

Most of the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation.

Police on Saturday urged residents to take "preventative measures at home" to safeguard their families.

They also urged families to avoid overloading electrical sockets with devices and to switch them off or unplug them leaving the home for a long period.

Each home should also have a fire extinguishers and tenants and homeowners should avoid using old cables with worn out wires and circuits.

Speaking on television on Wednesday night, the head of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, Brigadier General Mohammed Al Ketbi, said teams arrived on site less than 10 minutes after the fire was reported.

The bodies of fire victims are carried by mourners at Baniyas Graveyard on Tuesday. Victor Besa / The National

He said smoke had already spread through the three-storey house, affecting sleeping family members. Several victims passed away after they were rescued from the building.

As The National reported on Thursday, three families lived in the house. The matriarch, Fatima, her grown children Abdullah, Ali, and Khawla, two of their spouses, and nine grandchildren.

The deceased include Eman Al Katheeri and her daughter Fatima, age two. She is survived by her husband, Abdullah.

Ali and his wife Khiyar Al Katheeri lost two daughters, Thimna, age 21, and Aya, age seven. Khiyar is currently in the intensive care unit at a local hospital.

Khalwa, a science teacher, died with her three children, Fatima, who was four or five, Rames, aged two, and Salem, who was a year old.

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