Dubai Marina building fire: No access to belongings as tenants await return
After a fire broke out in the Marina Pinnacle building on Friday night, tenants are mapping out their plans and places to stay until they can return home. 3,820 residents were evacuated from the residence, and the fire was brought under control within 6 hours.
Adil, a Moroccan expat, decided to send his wife and two children earlier for summer vacation after the fire broke out. The family had initially scheduled their summer travel for early July, but the incident has changed their plans.
'We were planning to travel in early July, but now I am sending my wife and two kids to Morocco earlier,' said Adil, who works for a real estate company and lives on one of the tower's top floors. 'Our floor appears to be damaged. We are not sure if my apartment is safe.'
Luckily, the family's passports weren't in the apartment at the time. 'I had left them at the office after receiving our Schengen visas stamped from the agency. But now, we will have to do some last-minute shopping, as all our belongings are in our flat,' he added.
His children, who study in a school in Al Barsha, will be staying in Morocco with their mother until August, while Adil will be in Dubai to manage the situation.
With no update on when residents can re-enter their homes, many have quickly made alternate living arrangements.
Indian expat Prateek M., who shifted to the 22nd floor of Marina Pinnacle just a few months ago, has temporarily moved into a hotel with his wife and young son. 'Neighbours from the next building shouted and told me our tower was on fire,' he said. 'I grabbed my son and told my wife to head straight to the emergency exit with me.'
The family navigated through thick smoke with the help of rescuers. Prateek said that the visibility was poor while using the staircase. 'We had to hold on to the shoulders of the person in front of us,' said Prateek. 'Once we reached the parking levels, where it's more ventilated, we could breathe a little better.'
He now hopes to access his flat soon to retrieve documents and check if his apartment has been damaged. 'The floors above mine look affected. Hopefully, my unit is safe.'
Travel plans at stake
Vara, a Georgian expat who runs a travel agency, is currently staying at a friend's house. She lives on one of the higher floors and has been preparing for a work trip to Georgia next Thursday, accompanying a group of UAE tourists.
'I have been packing souvenirs and small goodies for my group. Everything is still in my apartment,' she said. 'I need my laptop and some documents related to travel bookings. Without them, it'll be very difficult to manage the trip.'
She's staying hopeful and said, 'It's a work trip, and people are depending on me. I may return after a few weeks and will then look into settling things at the apartment.'
Helping others
Reza, an Iranian resident who has lived in the building for three years, was not home at the time of the incident. He returned around 1am and saw smoke and flames from afar. 'The roads were blocked. It was clear that I wouldn't be able to go in,' he said.
Instead of leaving, he chose to stay and help fellow tenants early Saturday morning. 'Some tenants didn't even have their phones. They couldn't book a cab to go to their friend's place. I helped them to get taxis so they could go to their friends or relatives,' he said. Reza remained near the building until Fajr prayer, then went to a mosque for a brief rest.
His employer has granted him time off to handle the situation. 'I am grateful. Right now, I am just waiting to know when we can go back and collect our things.'
Several residents of Marina Pinnacle say they are still waiting for instructions from the building management on when it will be safe to return.
'We are safe, and that's what matters. But we hope to return home soon,' said Prateek.
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