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Family of 10 unhurt after ceiling collapse

The entire family was sleeping when cracks appeared in the roof of the hall of their house at the Bin Kizi locality of Shaml area to the north of RAK.

A 10-member Emirati family escaped death after a huge part of the concrete ceiling of their almost 33-year-old house fell early on Saturday.

The entire family was sleeping when cracks appeared in the roof of the hall of their house at the Bin Kizi locality of Shaml area to the north of the emirate.

Obaid Rashid Al Shamili, an executive with a government department said he, his wife, his five children, as well as his brother’s wife, her daughter and his wife’s sister went to sleep after having dinner while watching TV at the hall around 1.30am.

“Almost 30 minutes later, we heard a big bang. Some concrete blocks had fallen from the ceiling.”

Al Shamili said the dilapidated house built in 1981, consists of three bedrooms, a hall, a living room, a salon, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

“I had already approached the Zayed Housing Programme some seven years ago to get a new house after a committee assigned by the same examined the house, and affirmed that it was unfit for staying living and needed to be replaced.”

Al Shamili said he is suffering from several diseases and complications due to a medical error which happened five years ago. “I am still waiting for my turn to be granted a house to protect me and my family members particularly as the ceiling of the house is in bad condition.”

Earlier, the house had gone through several maintenance works worth over Dh150,000, but in vain, he noted.

Two hurt in accident

Meanwhile, two Asian men sustained several injuries and fractures after a car, driven by an Emirati man, rammed into a shop on Kuwaiti Road in RAK, on Thursday afternoon. The duo was working at the furniture shop when the motorist lost control of his car, and rammed into the shop. The two men have been identified as A.H., 52, and S.S., 45.

The Central Operations Room, on being alerted about the accident, dispatched police, traffic, and rescue teams. The two men were shifted to the hospital while the case has been referred to the prosecution for investigation.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com