’All my children died...I could do nothing’: Grieving mother recalls tragic night in Fujairah

Tragedy strikes at night

On January 22, seven children of an Emirati family died of suffocation after a fire broke out in their house in Rul Dadna district in Fujairah

The siblings — four girls and three boys — were aged between five and 13.

Among the victims were five-year-old twins Sara and Sumaiya. The deceased belonged to Al Suraidi family.

On Tuesday, police confirmed to us that faulty living room lights were the cause of the deadly fire.

Colonel Saif Rashid Al Zahmi, director of Dibba Fujairah Police, told us that the police forensic laboratory investigated the cause of the fire that started in the living room and spread to other areas of the house.

“Lights were the cause of the fire,” he said.

The house was handed over to the family on Tuesday, Col Al Zahmi said.

Major-General Mohammad Ganem Al Kaabi, Commander-in-Chief of Fujairah Police, said they received the emergency call all too late, making it difficult to save the children despite arriving on the scene in record time.

Maj-Gen Al Kaabi said the police received a call at 5.40am reporting the fire and saying that the children were trapped inside.

Smoke quickly engulfed the house which prevented the mother as well as neighbours from rescuing the children.

Maj-Gen Al Kaabi urged residents to install smoke detectors to avoid such tragic incidents.