Two Kenyans die in UAE tower fire
A yellow police tape at the scene of a crime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the death of two Kenyans following a fire that broke out Sunday morning at a residential building in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This follows chilling videos circulating on social media showing a fire on the 44th floor of the 52-storey high-rise. The building is in an area where several Kenyans working in UAE are living.
The statement from Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei says that the process of reaching out to their families has started.
The names of the victims will not be shared until then. Identities of victims have been concealed for now as the investigation to determine the cause of the fire continues.
“According to police, the fire incident caused the death of 5 people. Out of the 5, 1 is Cameroonian, 2 are Kenyans...while 2 are yet to be fully identified. The cause of death of the 5 is yet to be known until the autopsy report is out,” the statement reads.
The PS stated that the number of Kenyans who died could go up amid speculation that one of the unidentified victims may be Kenyan.
“The autopsy report is expected to be out in the course of the next 2 to 3 days. Out of the 2 dead bodies, one who is highly suspected to be Kenyan identified by only one name is yet to be fully identified because his body including the head was severely damaged beyond recognition.”
One Kenyan also sustained injuries in the incident.
According to a preliminary report issued Tuesday by Sharjah Police, the fire started at 11:31am on Sunday in a building housing 1,500 people.
Meanwhile, Kenyans from different cities in UAE have joined hands through WhatsApp group to eulogise their colleagues, even as they blame local authoritiews for taking too long to respond to the fire.