Sharjah: A family of four escaped unharmed after fire broke out in their Sharqan apartment on Wednesday afternoon, Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence, told Gulf News.

The fire broke out at around 3.15pm. It is believed the blaze was caused by the apartment’s outdated air-conditioning system, which had been on for a long time and had not undergone maintenance. Smoke engulfed the apartment but the Asian family, a man and his wife and their son and daughter, managed to flee.

Meanwhile, On Tuesday evening at around 6.20pm a fire broke out in two vehicles in Sharjah Industrial area No 2. The driver of one of the vehicles suffered minor burns and was taken to Al Qasimi Hospital.