Trending Topics

Dubai firefighter dies after falling four stories

First Corporal Tariq Abdullah Ali Al Hawai accidentally fell from a “hole” on the fourth floor of the building and landed on the ground floor

Ahmed Shaaban
Khaleej Times, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A firefighter died as he and his team were trying to put out a fire at a tower in Dubai’s Business Bay on Saturday. He was 28.

First Corporal Tariq Abdullah Ali Al Hawai accidentally fell from a “hole” on the fourth floor of the building and landed on the ground floor, initial investigations showed. He sustained serious injuries and fractures and was rushed to the hospital. “Unfortunately, he was declared dead in the early hours of Sunday,” said Major-General Rashid Thani Al Matrushi, director-general of the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Dubai.

The blaze erupted at a parking floor of an under-construction building at Al Abraj street at around 10.40am, Maj-Gen Al Matrushi said.

“The firefighters managed to put out the fire after long, tiring hours, at 6.22pm,” he added. However, 38 minutes later, at 7pm, Al Hawai was reported missing and was later found in the building.

The General Directorate of Civil Defence mourned the firefighter on Sunday. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, also tweeted his condolences.

“The sacrifices of our civil defense servicemen will remain immortal in the memory of our homeland and Tariq will remain a symbol of self-sacrifice for the security of our country and its people. May Allah have mercy on him and grant patience to his family and loved ones,” Sheikh Hamdan said in the tweet.

Born on November 14, 1990, Al Hawai joined the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Dubai in February 2015 and then moved to the Etihad civil defence centre last March.

“Al Hawai was a good citizen and a loyal soldier who sacrificed his life for his country and people, and shall always remain a shiny example for us all,” Maj-Gen Al Matrushi said.

———

©2019 the Khaleej Times (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU