A mother and her special needs son were tragically killed after a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Al Hejiyat yesterday.
The 30-year-old man died while the 48-year-old woman fell to her death from the balcony on the second floor as she was trying to escape when flames engulfed their apartment during the early hours of the morning.
Other members of the Bahraini family, including the father and four sons, two daughters and two granddaughters, who were all living in the apartment, were saved by Civil Defence officials.
According to the Interior Ministry, 16 people were rescued from the thick smoke that spread through the nine-storey social housing apartment that houses 32 families.
A child was taken to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation and his health condition is stable, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
“The Interior Ministry’s main operations room received a report at 2.45am about a fire in Al Hejiyat and the Civil Defence teams reached the building within 10 minutes,” the statement added.
“A total of 116 tenants were evacuated from the entire building, the fire was controlled and cooling operations were carried out.
“An investigation has been launched to determine the cause.”
Southern Municipal Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif said two apartments were severely damaged in the blaze and arrangements were being made to move the families to Dar Al Karama in Isa Town.
“We are co-ordinating with the Housing and Urban Planning and Social Development ministries to relocate the affected families,” Mr Abdullatif said.
He expressed concern over the safety of the building and said other residents should also be moved to safer locations until the investigation is completed.
He appealed for donations from kind-hearted citizens and residents to help the tragedy-hit family whose property has been gutted.
“Our leadership is following up the incident and I am sure help will be provided, but more is needed from charity societies, philanthropists, banks and businesses,” he noted.
Mr Abdullatif said the father of the deceased man had earlier approached the council for permission to build a special facility inside the house to protect his son with special needs.
He added that the plea was rejected as the property was still under the Housing and Urban Planning Ministry.
Southern Governor Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa, area councillor Mohammed Daraj and senior government officials visited the site yesterday.
Shaikh Khalifa, who was acting on directives from Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, was briefed about the fire. He praised Civil Defence and Public Security personnel for their rescue efforts and stressed the need to monitor all apartments to ensure compliance with safety and security standards.
Mr Daraj, who is also the council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman, paid condolences to the family of the deceased.
“We are working to get humanitarian relief for those affected,” he added.
Area MP Mohammed Al Marafi, who is also Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee vice-chairman, said a thorough investigation was necessary as this is the second fire in a social apartment building following the blaze in Luzi last year.
Mr Al Marafi said he yesterday met Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna Al Romaihi, who revealed that a permanent team had been formed to assess all social apartment buildings following the Luzi incident.
“Initial findings show that faulty wirings were the reason behind the fire,” Mr Al Marafi claimed.
“The apartment where the tragedy happened had faulty electricity connections and nine family members were sleeping in the living room at the time,” he added.
“The two families living in the affected apartments will be moved on Wednesday to Dar Al Karama with the family involved in the tragedy given a new apartment in Hamad Town.
“The second family will be moved back to the apartment after it’s repaired and renovated.”
The 30-year-old son was buried yesterday at the Hunainiyah Cemetery.
The mother will be buried after the arrival of her family from Saudi Arabia.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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