Al Lawzi Building Fire Ruled Accidental, Case Closed

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Public Prosecution has announced closing the case regarding the fire that occurred in a residential building in the Lawzi area of Hamad Town on May 11, 2024. The fire resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to others residing in the building.

The decision to close the case was made based on the findings of the investigation, which concluded that the fire was caused by a technical malfunction in the building's electrical wiring, with no human involvement. This conclusion was reached after reviewing technical reports, witness statements, and expert opinions from various agencies.

The Northern Governorate Public Prosecutor stated that the investigation began immediately after the incident, conducting on-site inspections, which revealed that the fire originated in the shared electrical wiring of the building.

"As part of the investigation, the Public Prosecution commissioned the Crime Scene Unit of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Forensic Evidence to collect evidence from the building, appointed forensic experts to examine the evidence and determine the cause of the fire.

It also ordered the forensic pathologist to examine the bodies of the deceased to determine the cause of death, formed a committee of technical experts from the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) to inspect the building's electrical distribution panels to determine if there were any malfunctions, maintenance issues, or repairs performed and the safety of such work, if any.

Moreover, the Civil Defense was instructed to inspect the building to assess compliance with safety regulations, took statements from the injured residents, other residents of the building, the head of the building's tenant association, and some of its members, and interviewed officials from the Ministry of Housing and the EWA," the statement pointed out.

"The forensic pathologist's report concluded that the deaths were caused by suffocation due to carbon monoxide inhalation. The Crime Scene Unit and Forensic Laboratory reports confirmed that there were no accelerants present and ruled out any criminal suspicion in the fire's origin.

The reports concluded that the fire started in the electrical cables supplying the building due to a technical malfunction. The smoke from the fire accumulated heavily in the upper floor where the deceased resided," it underlined.

As per the statement, the technical committee from the EWA reported that the building's electrical wiring, including the installation of the cables and the method used, complied with the standard specifications for wiring work approved by the Electricity Distribution Department at the EWA.

"Based on the comprehensive evidence gathered from the Crime Scene Unit, Forensic Laboratory, Civil Defense, and the overall investigation findings, which determined that the fire originated in the building's electrical cables due to a technical malfunction with no evidence of human involvement, either intentional or negligent, the Public Prosecution has concluded that there is no criminal suspicion in this matter.

Consequently, the case has been officially closed," the statement concluded.