Eight members of an Emirati family died after being trapped in a fire that engulfed a villa in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, October 2.
The casualties, three women and five children, are believed to have died of suffocation while they were trapped inside the villa. Another member of the family sustained injuries and was rushed to a hospital to receive treatment.
Reports show that there were 12 people in the villa when the fire started at the ground floor of the building. The fire quickly spread to the second floor even before the firefighters arrived. Four of the 12 people in the villa were able to escape while the rest were left trapped inside the building.
An audio clip upload on social media, villa owner Ali Badawi Al Kotheri said: “Eight people died in our home this morning, including my two daughters.”
In a statement, Abu Dhabi Police are still investigating the cause of fire and extended their condolences towards the family and friends of the deceased.
Brigadier General Mohammed Mayouf Al Ketbi, Director General of Civil Defense in Abu Dhabi, also called for the necessity of complying with safety and safety requirements and ensuring the maintenance of manual and mobile fire extinguishing equipment.
