A fire burns on the side of a high-rise building in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, May 5, 2020. A high-rise tower caught fire Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates and authorities said it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the blaze. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
MANILA, Philippines — There were no overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) injured in the fire that burned part of a high-rise residential tower in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) late Tuesday.
At least 12 individuals were wounded after a fire broke out at the 48-story Abbco Tower, according to UAE’s Interior Ministry.
“Walang OFW injured. Nawala lang ang mga ibang gamit dahil sa sunog at pinalipat muna sa relocation site,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said in a text message to INQUIRER.net on Thursday.
(There are no OFWs injured. Some of their belongings just gone missing because of the fire. They were also brought to a relocation site.)
On Wednesday, he said the DFA was still awaiting reports from the consulate in Dubai if there were any Filipinos injured in the incident.
UAE is home to nearly 700,000 Filipinos and is one of the top work destinations for OFWs.