(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A Wednesday morning explosion in the Al Khail Gate community in Dubai left two apartments destroyed.
Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of Dubai Civil Defence, told Khaleej Times that a total of three people -- including two Indian women -- were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.
A Dubai Health Authority spokesperson noted that two people were brought into Rashid Hospital's trauma unit in "extremely critical" condition, without offering any further detail. Additionally, a baby girl was injured in the explosion. Ahmed Burquibah, Head of the Transport and Rescue Team, said that his team arrived to find the roof of the flat collapsed, and first rescued the baby girl. They then rescued one of the women - who was trapped under part of the collapsed ceiling - by using hydraulic cutters. The explosion occurred on the fifth floor of building 39 in Al Khail Community's Phase 1. The operations room of Dubai Civil Defence received the call at 11:23 on Wednesday morning, and swiftly dispatched firefighting personnel from Al Quoz Civil Defence station. When they arrived at the site, they found that the explosion had wrecked the fifth floor of the building. Also read: Explosions in the UAE: A timeline Dubai resident can't believe his luck, struck twice by fires in his building
Witnesses at the scene reported hearing a loud explosion which caused an apartment wall to cave in. Khaleej Times reporters at the scene reported that the apartment seems to have been totally gutted by the blast, which left debris and rubble strewn across the ground below the building.
A large number of emergency response vehicles from Dubai Police and Dubai Civil Defence quickly responded to the scene of the incident. Civil Defence personnel evacuated the building, but later let all the residents back in, with the exception of those who live on the fifth floor. Also read: Workers rescued as fire breaks out in JVC tower (August 7)
Nearby residents have noted that they saw at least two people were taken away on stretchers.
Neighbours in buildings adjacent to where the explosion was heard said the explosion was a very loud sound, and that the building shook as if struck by a mild earthquake.
One resident, a Mangalore native, and eyewitness told us that after the explosion there was a sound of rubble and sand flowing, and he went below the building to see what was happening. He was alone as his family is back home in India.
The explosion took place in Building Number 39 in Phase 1 of the Al Khail Gate community in an apartment on the fifth floor.
Greg Limjoco who lives in the same building (number 39) wasn't at home when the explosion happened. He told us his cousin who was in the same building gave him a call and he rushed home to retrieve his passport as his wife and he are off on vacation tomorrow.
Standing below the building, the large gaping hole in the brick wall is damage is visible, and even a red gas cylinder is clearly in view. Several residents told us they all have LPG gas cylinders in the house and the possibility of a gas explosion is scary. Watch: Building wall collapses in Al Khail Gate in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/Dg2k4vGe0B - Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) August 24, 2016 WATCH: Debris scattered under building at Al Khail Gate
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