A combo image shows the location where the fire started in the tower.

Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police said that direct source of the fire at the Al Nahda tower may have been a cigarette or burning Shisha coal.

Al-Shamsi said, “The burning cigarette body that caused the fire of Al-Nahda Tower fell in the outer corridor of the tower and caused damaged to 100 apartments, 26 of which were completely burned, 34 were exposed to fumes and water, and 40 apartments had simple damages out of a total of 333 apartments in the tower.”

The fire damaged 16 vehicles in the external parking spaces, while the internal parking areas contained 56 vehicles, 17 of which were damaged, and the remaining 39 vehicles were not damaged.

A view of a gutted apartment.

Six firefighting stations, consisting of 88 firefighters, officers and 22 vehicles, participated in extinguishing fire at the tower. The team set up their base on the tenth floor after the transfer of all equipment.

The beginning of the fire in the external corridor of the tower made it difficult for the anti-fire system of the building to monitor it immediately, and hence fire spread to the other apartments.

Meanwhile, Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, Director General of Civil Defence of Sharjah, honoured the Arab man Mohammed Omar Al Saudi, for rescuing child in the Al Nahda tower fire accident last week.

Al Naqbi granted the Al Saudi a certificate of appreciation for his courage and good behaviour, which contributed to saving the life of a 11-year-old girl who was held in one of the first floor apartments in which the fire broke out during the absence of her mother, who closed the door of the apartment before leaving the building.