Warehouses gutted in Sharjah industrial area

A thick blanket of black smoke engulfed the skies of Sharjah yesterday afternoon after a fire ravaged five warehouses. Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Bin Kanoon, director of fire stations at Sharjah Civil Defence, told reporters that a fire was reported at around 1.45pm at a warehouse located in Industrial Area 12. The fire was eventually brought under control by 6pm. All the damaged warehouses belonged to a ceramic sanitary wares and plumbing company. Civil Defence teams from Dubai and Ajman also helped in battling the blaze, while Anjad patrols evacuated and cordoned off the surroundings since workers' accommodations were located nearby. "We reported 10 workers who inhaled the fumes and they were rushed to Al Qasimi Hospital to receive treatment, but no casualities were reported," he said. Sharjah Police ensured that the fire did not spread to neighbouring warehouses. Tony Dewan, one of the directors of the commercial outlet, said the three enclosed warehouses and two open storage areas had been damaged. "They have been running for 10 years now and this is the first time an accident like this has happened. We abided by the fire safety rules, such as storing a fire extinguisher and not storing any flammable materials. After standing here for four hours, the police still could not say how the fire started," he said. Sources dealing with the investigation put the losses at over Dh1.5 million. The cause of the fire will be determined by the forensic laboratory at Sharjah Police once the cooling process is completed. From / Gulf News