UAE skyscraper blaze started from 'cigarette or sheesha'

A huge blaze that destroyed a skyscraper in the UAE city of Sharjah was started from a cigarette or sheesha, according to Emirati police.

A fire broke out on the 48-floor Abbco Tower, in the emirate of Sharjah, on 5 May, with 26 units completely destroyed, and an additional 34 damaged by water and smoke, while 33 vehicles were also damaged.

Sharjah police's Brigadier Ahmed Haji Al-Sarkal said he was almost certain that the blaze started after a cigarette or sheesha coal was dropped onto the tenth floor from above.

"The fire was caused 90 per cent either by a cigarette butt or Shisha coals, which had been discarded in the corridor of the first floor," he said.

"It was thrown from upper floors and settled on the 10th floor (the first residential floor after nine levels of parking), where the fire started."

M — Sajid Hussyn (@Khosahere) May 5, 2020 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Massive fire engulfed a whole tower consisting of 48 storeys in Sharjah, UAE. May ALLAH Almighty have mercy on all people over there and protect them. #Sharjah pic.twitter.com/vPW52B9rbH — Sajid Hussyn (@Khosahere) May 5, 2020

The UAE, including skyscraper-studded Dubai, has suffered a spate of fires in its high-rises in recent years.

The reason for the blazes, building and safety experts say, is the material used for the buildings' sidings, called aluminum composite panel cladding.

While some types of cladding can be made with fire-resistant material, experts say those that have caught fire in the UAE and elsewhere were not designed to meet stricter safety standards and often were put onto buildings without any breaks to slow or halt a possible blaze.

Sharjah said 150 buildings would need to have their cladding replaced.

The Abbco Tower was fitted with cladding banned in 2016.

Agencies contributed to this story.

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