SHARJAH // Some families who lived in a residential tower gutted by fire 12 days ago have been forced to sleep in their cars or in parks.
The tenants of the Abdul Naser building in Sharjah had been staying in hotels at the expense of Emirates Red Crescent. But three days ago they were given notice to leave.
And on Monday night, hotels cut off air-conditioning and deactivated their room key cards when they failed to leave and so they had to sleep in their cars or in parks.
However, their misery might soon be over after Sharjah’s Civil Defence director, Brig Abdullah Al Suwaidi, said that they have been offered housing by the building’s owner.
Residents of the 32-storey building on King Faisal Road were initially sheltered in 12 hotels throughout Sharjah by the Red Crescent.
Tenants who had no financial means, relatives or friends to give them shelter had to sleep in their cars parked in front of the building with their children after being told to leave the hotels.
Father of three Anas Al Dbsi spent the night in his car with his children and wife. “Yesterday, the hotel where we were staying cut of the air conditioning to force us out of the room,” said the 41-year-old, adding that the promises made by the building owner, that their apartments would be repaired and they could return, have not materialised.
Mohammed Mirza, 52, a father of four, said he slept with his family on grass near the corniche. “We slept on green grass and I also slept in the car with my children and wife,” he said.
Jihan Abdulfattah said that her family left one hotel and moved to another. “I moved to a new hotel with my two kids but we can’t afford to stay there any longer, so we need to find a solution,” said the 35-year Egyptian.
Hazim Kusaibi was another who spent the night in his car. “We were left without a shelter, now that the hotel kicked us out,” said the 32-year-old father of two. “I don’t know where to go or what to do.”
Brig Al Suwaidi said on Tuesday that a meeting had been held with the representative of the building and they had agreed to hire a maintenance company within 24 hours to start working on fixing the building.
“The owner has pledged to house the affected tenants at his expense until the building is fixed and passed the fire and safety regulations,” he said.
The tenants need to coordinate with the Red Crescent and the building representative to be housed, said Brig Al Suwaidi.
Sharjah Municipality’s engineering department has surveyed the burnt-out tower and found 54 apartments either partially or completely fire damaged. “According to our estimation, each burnt apartment would require two months to be fixed,” said Khalifa Al Suwaidi, director of the engineering department.
The fire, which broke out on October 1, forced 200 families from the building.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
