DUBAI, 2 February 2007 — Fortune Investment Group announced yesterday that the company disbursed relief packages to 44 construction workers affected by the Jan. 18 tower inferno.
The affected include the heirs of Hamza Kalladi, an Indian, and Shamim Bishu, a Bangladeshi, who died in the fire.
Syed Muhammad Ali, chief executive officer of Fortune Investment Group, said the 44 affected are of various nationalities, including Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Egyptian.
An official spokesperson of the Fortune Investment Group said relatives of the two dead workers have been given amounts worth 12 years’ salary as had been committed by the company.
Family sources of Kalladi said that they would be receiving more than two million Indian rupees ($45,429) through officials in Kerala. Sources revealed that Shamim Bishu also would get a similar amount.
Other laborers, who were injured, received their compensation checks yesterday from the group.
The relief package is over and above legal insurance claims and any compensation that are being paid by the contractors of the Fortune Tower.
Ali said support of the concerned governments has been sought to ensure that the compensation money reaches the legal and rightful heirs of the dead workers. The amount will be disbursed to the affected families in coordination with diplomatic missions of their respective countries.
“The relief package has been awarded following the commitment we made after the unfortunate incident. We are more than aware that monetary relief cannot be a replacement for human lives, but we do hope that the relief package will help support the affected families of the deceased and mitigate some of the pain and suffering of those who have been directly affected by the mishap,” said Ali.
He said there were no known cases of permanent disability yet and two of the affected have major injuries. The rest of them suffered minor injuries and have been discharged from hospital.
The fire broke out in the 37-story Fortune Tower in downtown Dubai early in the afternoon on Jan. 18, trapping some of the estimated 300 mostly Chinese, Pakistani and Indian construction workers near the upper decks.
Some media reports speculated that the fire might have started in electrical or sewage lines in the upper floors.
