AJMAN // The fire that killed a mother, her three daughters and two housemaids was caused by an electrical fault in their villa's air-conditioning unit.
Sparks caused by faulty wiring set fire to curtains and furniture, which were made of flammable materials, fire and forensic investigators have established.
The flames, fanned by the AC, quickly spread through the villa in Al Hamideyah in Ajman city.
Haleema Mubarak, a widow, her daughters Maryam, 7, Nouf, 14 and Mouza, 11, and their Indonesian and Ethiopian housemaids died in the blaze on Tuesday morning. Mrs Mubarak's son Amer Ahmed, 15, jumped to safety from a first floor window.
Dozens of neighbours and other residents of Al Hamideyah visited Mrs Mubarak's father's home in the Musheiref area of Ajman yesterday to offer their condolences.
Mohammed Mubarak, her brother, said: "We have erected a tent to receive condolences for three days as instructed by the Islamic religion."
The six victims of the fire all died from the effects of smoke inhalation. Brig Ali Alwan, director general of Ajman Police said: "The investigators' report revealed the fire was caused by short circuits in the air conditioning system due to a wrong wire connection.
"The spark of fire fell on the curtains, which were made of flammable material, and because of the air from the other air-conditioning unit the flames quickly spread and reached the furniture, which caused massive smoke leading to the suffocation of family members who were sleeping.
"The mother woke up and tried to call police. Before hanging up the phone she was hit by smoke and flames and died of suffocation."
Mrs Mubarak's emergency call was made at 8.56am, and fire and resuce crews arrived at the scene six minutes later, guided by the plumes of smoke from the villa.
Firefighters found the bodies of Mrs Mubarak and the two maids on the ground floor of the villa. The bodies of the girls were found in their bedroom on the first floor.
The sole survivor, Amer, was discharged from Sheikh Khalifa hospital in Ajman on Tuesday after being examined and given the all-clear by doctors
"He had also inhaled some smoke but was treated and he was fine," said Hamad Taryam Al Shamsi, the hospital's director general. "We then handed him to his uncle from Ras Al Khaimah so he could go join his relatives in mourning."
The family's bodies were laid to rest on Tuesday evening in accordance with Islamic tradition. The bodies of the two maids are still at the Ajman police forensic laboratory as authorities make preparations for their burial or repatriation.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Minister of Interior, has sent his condolences to the family and is co-ordinating any help they need.
ykakande@thenational.ae
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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