DUBAI: A group of 10 Indian laborers died and many others were injured when a fire broke out at around 5.30 a.m. yesterday at a bachelor accommodation in the Naif Souq area of Dubai.
The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen of the two-storey villa, which was home to around 500 laborers, near California Hotel. Civil Defense rescuers arrived at the villa and evacuated neighboring villas to avoid further casualties.
Brig. Abdul Jalil Mahdi, deputy director of Dubai police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for Preventative Security, said the search is still on for missing people and an intensive investigation has been launched.
The laborers, mainly from south India, were asleep when the fire spread through the villa. Several laborers jumped from the second floor and escaped with minor to major injuries.
"When the fire started, the roof of our room also collapsed," said an escaped worker. "I was running away with my clothe on fire,” said B.Kumar.
P. Shankar broke his hand after he jumped to safety from his room on the second floor; his 44-year old brother, Gangaram, died.
Four Indian workers were killed in a fire at an old villa in Ajman last week.
