Four killed in major Al Lawzi building fire

A number of residents were also injured. According to the General Directorate of Civil Defence, 20 residents were rescued from the building and are in stable condition after receiving first aid from the National Ambulance on-site.

Under control “The Civil Defence Operations Room immediately dispatched seven vehicles and 48 officers and personnel to the scene upon receiving the fire report.

Rescue and firefighting operations were promptly initiated, and the fire was brought under control,” the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. “Cooling operations are currently underway to prevent the fire from reigniting.”

In a tense rescue operation, emergency teams evacuated a resident who adamantly refused to vacate the premises without locating his beloved pet cat.

Prioritising the safety of all occupants, rescue personnel ensured the reluctant resident’s safe evacuation from the building.

The Operations Room of the General Directorate of Civil Defence extinguished the fire within nine minutes of receiving the report, and carried out rescue operations with seven firefighting vehicles and 48 personnel.

An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Civil Defence teams respond swiftly 

Mohammed Abu Al Fatah, a senior officer of the Civil Defence team that participated in the rescue efforts, said a report was received at 5.15pm about a fire breaking out at an apartment at Al Lawzi. Fire engines and personnel were immediately deployed.

“When we arrived, we found that the fire was at the fourth floor of the building and there was heavy smoke. During the operation, our teams extinguished the fire and evacuated the residents trapped inside the building. We managed to evacuate residents from 32 apartments but unfortunately four have died,” he said.