UAE: 1 Pakistani missing in Ajman factory fire feared dead, other victims in ICU

Forensic analysis and DNA Tests are currently underway on a burnt body recovered from the site, feared to be that of Akbar, authorities said

SM Ayaz Zakir

Published: Wed 28 Feb 2024, 11:33 AM

Last updated: Thu 29 Feb 2024, 12:12 AM

Nine Pakistanis who were injured in a fire that erupted at a chemical factory in Ajman city on February 24 are receiving treatments at various hospitals across the UAE.

A delegation from the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai, led by Community Welfare Attaché Imran Shahid, visited Zayed Hospital, Kuwaiti Hospital and Al Qassimi Hospital to assess the condition and treatment progress of some of the injured.

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According to a statement from the consulate, Akbar, a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, was missing after the factory caught fire. “Forensic analysis and DNA Tests are currently underway on a burnt human body recovered from the site of the incident, feared to be that of Mr Akbar.”

The blaze erupted late Saturday at the factory that produced chemical products used to make sanitisers and perfumes, according to the Pakistani embassy in the UAE.

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Doctors at Zayed Hospital (Sharjah) treating Ijaz from Shaheed Benazirabad, Sindh, informed the delegation that he has shown improvement. Ijaz suffered from 65 per cent burns and has been taken off the ventilator.

The medical team is considering transferring Ijaz to Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) Hospital in Abu Dhabi for specialised treatment.

With 55 per cent burn injuries, Shahid, also from Shaheed Benazirabad, remains critical at Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Sharjah. Zahoor, from the same region, is also hospitalised with 35 per cent burn injuries, and both patients are on ventilator support.

The consulate team thanked the medical staff for their efforts and pledged continued support to the affected individuals and their families.

Sikandar, who is under treatment at Al Qassimi Hospital Sharjah, suffered from a 60 per cent burn and is on a ventilator. Doctors are also considering to move him to SSMC Hospital Abu Dhabi.

During the visit, the team met the intensive care unit and emergency department authorities, treating doctors, relatives and friends of the injured to ensure maximum assistance. “Requisite treatment of all the injured is underway in the ICUs of concerned hospitals. We are duty-bound to ensure all possible assistance to the victims of the ill-fated incident”, Consul General Hussain Muhammad.

Friends of victims are relieved

Friends of the victims were relieved to hear that the injured were recovering. "Many of our friends who visited Ijaz at the hospital told us that he is out of danger. Although some of us did not get the chance to meet him, we were relieved by the news," said Mahmood Ali, a friend of Ijaz.

On the fateful evening of February 24, Ali received a call from Ijaz. "At around 6pm, he called me, sounding scared and panicking. He informed me that the facility caught fire and requested us to come.

"I informed our other friends and rushed to Ajman. By the time we reached the factory location, police had cordoned off the area, and the workers were evacuated," said Ali.

Sikandar Abdul Rahim's friends are still waiting to see him at Al Qassimi Hospital Sharjah. His friend Ahmad said, "A day before the incident, Sikandar was very concerned about sending money to family back home.

"He is undergoing treatment at Al Qassimi Hospital, and we hope he is safe. We understand we cannot meet Sikandar at this point. But we are hoping and waiting for him to recover quickly," Ahmad added.

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