Fire damages south Ghubra villa, no casualties reported

The villa, built on a 400sq m plot, had been converted into a paying guest accommodation and was shared by nearly 40 expatriates, most of whom were at work when the fire broke out. The firefighters took almost two hours to douse the flames.

Salim bin Darwish al Hasni, the owner of the villa, said, “I suspect the fire started due to a gas cylinder leakage. I live down the street and have rented out the 11-room property to expatriates from Pakistan. Unfortunately, this property is not insured.”

Dawood Khan, a resident of the villa, said there are several gas cylinders and makeshift kitchens within the property. “The fire probably started in one of the kitchens,” he said and added that his room and possessions were not affected.

According to Hasni, two tenants, who happened to be home at the time, managed to save some of their possessions.