Fire at Umm Bab Tower in West Bay swiftly contained, no casualties: MoI
Published: 22 July 2024
Owners of high-rise buildings urged to ensure the safety of alarm and firefighting systems
NT Bureau
Doha
A fire that broke out at Umm Bab Tower in West Bay on Sunday was swiftly contained, according to the General Directorate of Civil Defence at the Ministry of Interior.
In an official statement posted on X, the Ministry confirmed that the Civil Defence team “contained a fire in the outer facade of a residential building” located in the West Bay area. The prompt action ensured that no casualties were reported, and the building was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The incident was widely documented by people passing by, with several videos capturing the flames and thick clouds of dark smoke spreading through social media platforms. The footage showed parts of the building engulfed in fire, and the smoke was visible from a significant distance in West Bay.
Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Mohammed Al-Hail, Director of Operations Department at the General Directorate of Civil Defense, told Qatar TV that the emergency services at the National Command Center received a report of a fire at 3:22 pm, and firefighting teams moved to deal with the fire that spread from the building’s exterior facade to its roof.
He said that as soon as the Civil Defense team arrived at the scene along with the security departments, including the Fazaa, Traffic, Criminal Investigation, Public Relations, Ambulance and other relevant officials, in addition to the Search and Rescue Team from the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and the Ministry of Municipality, work was done to evacuate the building of its residents. The teams present were divided into three for evacuation, rescue and extinguishing. The fire was controlled in a short time without any injuries.
To avoid similar fire incidents in the future, the Director of Operations at the General Directorate of Civil Defense advised owners of high-rise buildings, towers and residences to ensure the safety of alarm and firefighting systems and security and safety systems in the entire building and to test their validity on an ongoing basis.
Social media users praised the Civil Defence for their rapid response and effective handling of the situation, highlighting their efforts in ensuring the safety of the building’s occupants.
