Abu Dhabi: Despite multiple evacuations over the last week, a senior municipality official assured residents that they are safe in their homes in Khabirah Tower and its adjoining buildings.
“A ground slide did occur last week, but it did not damage any buildings then. The area is still safe, and residents were evacuated yesterday again as a simple precautionary measure,” Abdul Aziz Zaarab, director of health, safety and environment at the Municipality of Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News.
The municipality is currently reassessing the construction site adjacent to Khabirah Tower, and Zaarab said that some corrective action does need to be taken by the construction company.
“At the same time, the safety of residents in the area is not under threat,” he added. Some 600 tenants live in the building.
Tenants however said that they were still nervous about the situation, and hoped that measures were being taken to ensure their well-being.
Residents of Khabirah Tower were first evacuated on September 9 after a ground slide occurred, caused by the deep excavations on a nearby worksite. No injuries were sustained as a result. But, following the directives of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), evacuated families were offered accommodation at six hotels across the city until the building was declared safe.
Although residents returned home from last Thursday onwards, they were once again asked to vacate their homes, along with other tenants from nearby buildings, on Monday afternoon. As reported by Gulf News, emergency officials were present on site as the safety of the area was reviewed, and people were then allowed to return to their apartments in the evening.
Rana Haweel, a 24-year-old Egyptian resident of the neighbouring Al Diar Tower, said that she and her family had been asked to pack their bags on Monday, gather their valuables and be ready to evacuate at any time.
“People are still worried. I am just trying to be positive that everything will be fine. But it is honestly scary. There were so many emergency officials in the area yesterday, and it is not nice to leave your home not knowing if you will be able to return. I do hope the concerned authorities are ensuring that we will be safe,” she said.
Kulthoom Samir, a Palestinian civil engineer whose 17th floor apartment overlooks the construction site, said that the retaining wall onsite appears weak. “What happened is frightening, and if I lived in any of the buildings close to it, I would consider moving away. What if the ground slide has weakened the foundations of the other buildings?” she said.
-With additional inputs from Sara Sabry, Staff Reporter
