A fire broke out in a residential building in the Al Ras area on Saturday afternoon. It has caused the death of 16 people and left 9 people injured.

The cause of the fire seems to have been a lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements, according to preliminary investigations

As reported by The National, The first crews were on the scene at 12.41pm, around six minutes after the first emergency call was received.

“Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident.”

Civil Defence “stressed the importance of residential and commercial building owners and residents fully complying with security and safety requirements and guidelines to avoid accidents and protect people’s lives”.

The building owner is under investigation for lack of compliance with safety codes. The cause of the fire is suspected to be an electrical short circuit.

Among the deceased, there are at least 4 Indians, including a couple. The wife was a teacher at Crescent High School. More victims are still being identified.