Tenants reported seeing a massive water puddle sitting on top of the parking roof a day before the incident
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A building in Dubai Marina was evacuated on Wednesday morning after a parking lot floor collapsed.
A water pipe explosion in the parking basement of Dorra Bay tower in Dubai Marina reportedly caused the wall foundation to fall off.
Tenants reported seeing a massive water puddle sitting on top of the parking roof a day before the incident.
No injuries were reported, although several cars are believed to have been damaged in the collapse. A full investigation on the incident is currently being carried out.
Tenants of the 21-storey building heard the fire alarm go off at 1am before they were evacuated to different nearby hotels in Dubai Marina.
Although tenants were requested to pack their belongings for a two-day stay, the evacuation is expected to last longer until investigation is done.
A tenant, who requested to remain anonymous, told Khaleej Times that neighbours living in the lower floors heard a loud blast in the wee hours of the morning.
“We heard the fire alarm go off at 1am when we were sleeping. When the fire alarm did not stop, we realised we had to leave immediately.”
The tenant added: "We ran down the stairs and waited outside the building until we received updates from the authorities and the building management.”
The tenant noted that the building management is covering the expenses of the hotel stay and the breakfast.
Tenants have been requested to pick up any additional required personal belongings during the mornings in the coming days, as the electricity in the building has been disconnected. Since repairs are underway, they were also urged to remove their cars from the basement.
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The building concierge will also be present for assistance, the management said.
Some members of the community offered help to evacuated residents. A social media user posted that he can “spare a room for free for a couple of weeks for any family with kids who is affected by this.”
Another resident in JBR offered a spare parking spot for anyone who needs it.
Dorra Bay residents are still waiting to be informed on when they can move back to their apartments. They are expected to receive an update in the coming days.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com