Dubai: Displaced residents are still waiting to learn what their next step will be after last week’s fire at Sulafa Tower in Dubai Marina.
While unaffected tenants have all but resumed their routine lives, some of those affected said they are waiting for ongoing insurance inspections at their flats to be completed.
Many of the displaced tenants are staying at hotels, some reportedly at the building management’s expense. Others are living with loved ones.
The fire on July 20 injured three people and damaged around 17 flats, Dubai Police had said. There is no word yet from authorities on the cause of the fire.
No one from the building management could be reached for comment by the time of going to press on Thursday.
The latest notice from the management — dated July 24 — that is displayed at the tower entrance, says: “As of now the proceedings and investigations from all concerned parties are well under way.”
The notice adds: “It is our intention to return the building back to the way it was before this fire took place as quickly as possible, while working within the rules and confines of the law and insurance process.”
Islam, an Arab expat who said he owns three flats in the 75-storey residential tower, commented: “I’m waiting to hear what the next step will be. All my flats are damaged and they are doing insurance inspections in them. My tenants are obviously not living there anymore and we are going to cancel the contracts between us.”
R.A., an Arab tenant, added: “My flat suffered some damage and there was water everywhere after the firefighting operations. I’ve temporarily moved to another building. I don’t know what will happen next. Right now, my flat’s closed as the inspections are going on.”
An employee of a maintenance company working in the tower confirmed more than a dozen flats are closed until inspections end.
A man who identified himself as a friend of an Iranian homeowner said: “My friend keeps a flat here. He’s mostly out of the country. I’ve come here on his behalf to follow up but there’s no concrete news on what the next step is.”
Some tenants whose flats had been impacted by firefighting operations, water, smoke or soot had reportedly been asked not to clean up initially, for forensic purposes.
Abbas L., an Arab tenant of floor 12, said: “I had to spend Dh400 to clean my apartment after it was covered in soot and the building has not communicated anything to me directly. Why should I have to pay for this myself? I’ll definitely need another deep clean because the soot has set into my furniture and tiles. The building management has completely refused to communicate directly with tenants. I get updates about the building from my landlord, who lives in London. I have found the management to be extremely uncooperative.”
He added: “So far, the fourth floor of the parking lot continues to be closed and no proper alternative parking arrangements have been made. The gym continues to be closed too.”
