Roseline Njogu, the Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary, confirmed the loss of lives of three Kenyans. On Sunday, an inferno broke out in a 52-tower building in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), leading to the deaths.
PS Njogu confirmed the news on Tuesday evening on social media. The casualties from the inferno added up to five as of Sunday. Meanwhile, the Diaspora PS condoled with the bereaved families.
Diaspora PS announces the Kenyan blaze Inferno victims
In her social media post, she stated, “I regret to inform you that 3 Kenyans are among the 5 casualties that passed on following an inferno that occurred in Sharjah, UAE, on Sunday. My deepest condolences to the families of the deceased diaspora. We stand with you to offer support during this difficult time.”
Reportedly, the blaze broke out at around 11:31am in the 44th of the 52-storey building. The fire accident led to people scrambling among themselves to the rescue. According to Khaleeji Times, the tower has a capacity to accommodate 1,500 people. The inhabitants of this building came from different countries.
According to reports, four people fell while escaping the blaze and succumbed. One Pakistani succumbed to shock from the incident. Witnesses who responded to Khaleej Times, mostly Somalis, explained how they used ropes to scale the building for survival.
The Sharjah police launched investigations on the inferno in partnership with the forensic laboratory team.
“The blaze broke out at approximately 11:30am, when Sharjah police received an emergency call reporting flames shooting out from a top-floor apartment,” the police stated. The other 19 victims got injured and taken to Al Qasimi Hospital.
As of Sunday evening, the building residents have been allowed to gradually return to their apartments. The 52-storey building inhabitants shall all settle after a while. Additionally, the storey building shall not be accessed from the 30th floor for further investigations.
