A resident of Al Reef villas, Dr Ahmed Tantawy with his son Salem, 2. His kitchen was left in tatters when some ill-fitted cabinets collapsed suddenly. Victor Besa / The National
A resident of Al Reef villas, Dr Ahmed Tantawy with his son Salem, 2. His kitchen was left in tatters when some ill-fitted cabinets collapsed suddenly. Victor Besa / The National
A resident of Al Reef villas, Dr Ahmed Tantawy with his son Salem, 2. His kitchen was left in tatters when some ill-fitted cabinets collapsed suddenly. Victor Besa / The National
A resident of Al Reef villas, Dr Ahmed Tantawy with his son Salem, 2. His kitchen was left in tatters when some ill-fitted cabinets collapsed suddenly. Victor Besa / The National

Residents of Abu Dhabi community warn others after cabinets collapse at home


Kelly Clarke
  • English
  • Arabic

Residents of an Abu Dhabi community warned their neighbours after wall cabinets in their homes collapsed without warning.

In separate incidents just weeks apart, two homeowners said their children narrowly missed severe injuries when a set of wall-mounted kitchen cupboards toppled onto them.

Sharing images of the aftermath online recently, they alerted others in the community to check the fixtures and fittings in their homes.

The incidents took place on December 29 last year and January 16 this year at an apartment and villa in the popular Al Reef neighbourhood.

Speaking to The National, mother-of-one, Bindiya F, said her nanny and two-year-old daughter were in the kitchen when the accident happened.

They were trapped for more than 40 minutes before she could help them out.

“I was in complete shock when I walked in from work and found them,” she said.

“I could hear my nanny crying but I thought she was just pretend playing with my daughter.

“Then I turned the corner and saw them surrounded by splintered wood and shattered glass.”

Dr Ahmed Tantawy's kitchen after wall cabinets collapsed suddenly. Courtesy Ahmed Tantawy
Dr Ahmed Tantawy's kitchen after wall cabinets collapsed suddenly. Courtesy Ahmed Tantawy

The nanny eventually managed to free the toddler from the wreckage, but was unable to get to her phone as the cupboards were blocking the door.

“To be stuck in there with no way to call for help was scary for them, my daughter was in tears," she said.

“I dread to think what the outcome would have been if she was in the kitchen alone when they collapsed, but by some miracle she walked away with no big injuries, thanks to my nanny.”

After moving into the apartment complex in October, the resident noticed a small gap between the kitchen cupboards and wall, so notified the on-site maintenance company.

Not in my wildest dreams did I think they would just crash down like that one day

“Usually, kitchen cabinets are flush with the wall so we made a point of letting them know," she said.

“The management didn’t seem too concerned about the design flaw so I didn’t push for maintenance to fix the problem.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think they would just crash down like that one day.

“We acted too late and I regret that now.”

Two weeks after the incident, on January 30, a new set of cabinets were fitted in her home. She also notified Manazel Specialists, the management company for Al Reef, about the incident.

In a follow up email sent to Ms Bindiya on February 3, a spokesman for Manazel expressed ”regret” at the incident.

“We ask you to make an appointment so that we [can] visit you as soon as possible to reveal the cause of the accident and work to avoid such incidents in the future,” it read.

Dr Ahmed Tantawy's kitchen after wall cabinets collapsed suddenly. Courtesy Ahmed Tantawy
Dr Ahmed Tantawy's kitchen after wall cabinets collapsed suddenly. Courtesy Ahmed Tantawy

And last week, after several follow up requests, she said representatives from Manazel visited her apartment for follow up inspections.

After reading Ms Bindiya's post on the Al Reef community forum, Dr Ahmed Tantawy, father-of-four who lives in Al Reef Villas, reached out to her.

Speaking to The National, he said his kitchen was left in tatters when some cabinets collapsed at his home in December.

“The entire thing just crashed around my eldest son and our nanny, they were traumatised,” he said.

“It stretched about four metres along the wall and just fell without warning.

"Our water tanker, microwave, cups, plates and food were all damaged.

“But the most terrifying thing was that it fell in the exact spot where my one-year-old boy usually eats his meals.

“It could have been a lot, lot worse.”

After the accident, Dr Tantawy said he soon realised how poorly the cabinets were fitted.

He said there was a wooden panel attached to the wall and the "entire cabinet was hanging from that one panel".

After contacting Census International, the facilities management for the villa complexes, he was referred to the head office.

They then advised him to contact Manazel.

"I called them but had no luck, it was a waste of time," he said.

“In the end, I got my friend who is a carpenter to make and fix some new cabinets for me.

"We are a family of six so we had to get the issued fixed quickly, we couldn't wait for weeks for the management to react.”

Dr Tantawy said he was shocked to hear it had happened to someone else.

"That's when I knew something had to be done," he said.

“This is a huge family community and the issue needs to be fixed now, so people do not get hurt.

"I am a physician and I have seen how such accidents can impact peoples' lives."

In 2015, a similar incident was reported in the same residential area.

A mother-of-two used Facebook to air her frustrations after a bathroom sink slid from its cabinet and nearly dropped onto her daughter.

At that time, Manazel sent letters to residents saying repair works would be carried out in all properties where a problem had been reported.

Manazel was contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of publishing.

If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

 

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

The%20specs
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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Brief scoreline:

Wolves 3

Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2

Arsenal 1

Papastathopoulos 80'

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Williams at Wimbledon

Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)

Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)