MALAPPURAM: Sixteen people, including a couple from Kerala, were killed in a fire that broke out on the fourth floor of a residential building in Dubai’s Deira Burj Murar area on Saturday. The couple, Rijesh Kalangadan, a native of Vengara in Malappuram, and his wife Jeshi Rijesh, were working in Dubai. Rijesh was employed by a private travel company in Dubai, and Jeshi was a teacher at Crescent High School.
Their relatives in Vengara said Rijesh and Jeshi got married 11 years ago. “Rijesh reached Dubai 11 years ago and Jeshi joined him around four years ago,” said Subramannian, a relative of Rijesh and a ward member of Kannamangalam panchayat. Subramannian added that the bodies would be brought to Vengara after completing the paper works.
Two Tamil Nadu natives who worked at the building were also killed in the fire. According to sources, the fire broke out in the building around 12.35 pm on Saturday, and witnesses reported hearing a loud bang from the building, followed by thick black smoke and flames leaping out of an apartment window. The fire brigade arrived quickly and was able to almost completely extinguish the fire by around 2.30 pm, while also evacuating people from the building.
The fire is believed to have started due to an electrical short circuit and may have been further exacerbated by the explosions of two air conditioners. Nine people sustained serious burns and the Dubai authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Vengara MLA P K Kunhalikutty visited the relatives of the deceased couple in Vengara and extended his help to the family in bringing the bodies home.