At least 16 people died in a fire in the Al-Ras building on Saturdayan old district of the city of Dubai, where many foreign workers live.

The fire broke out on the fourth floor of a building. Firefighters arrived on the scene “six minutes after the alarm was raised”.said the Civil Protection in a statement to the ep on Sunday.

“Preliminary studies show that the fire was started because the building’s safety and security requirements were not methe added.

Thousands of workers, mostly from Asia and Africa, live in this area, in some cases as many as 10 or 15 people per apartment.

Among the deceased are according to the local press four Indians, three Pakistanis, a Cameroonian, a Sudanese and a citizen of a West African country not specified.

One of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has a population of about 3.3 million, of whom almost 90% are foreigners.

“The competent authorities conduct a thorough investigation to prepare a detailed report on the causes of the accident.”, the statement read.

The city has experienced spectacular fires in the past, which caused extensive damage but few casualties.