208 left homeless by Abu Dhabi gas explosion to get free accommodation

  DUBAI – Accommodation assistance will be given to 208 people who were left homeless after a gas blast destroyed the ground floor of a building along Abu Dhabi Airport, according to Emirates Red Crescent. Monday’s deadly explosion at a fast food restaurant in the building killed two people, according to Abu Dhabi Police. The victims were both Filipinos, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi confirmed to Expatmedia.net on Tuesday. September 3 update: Death toll in Abu Dhabi gas blast climbs to 3 ALSO READ: All details on Filipinos killed, injured in Abu Dhabi gas blast 2 Filipinos killed as gas blast destroys KFC, Hardee's Abu Dhabi According to Abu Dhabi Media, one of the victims died near the site of the accident, while the other was a passer-by hit by debris. The blast also injured 26 people and completely destroyed shops in the building, including KFC and Hardee’s restaurants. Emirates Red Crescent said it will cover the accommodation costs of 208 people who were evacuated from the building and had to be relocated for safety reasons. The organization said its volunteers have transferred residents to hotels in the city and will be covering their accommodation expenses under a directive by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, who is also its chairman. Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador Hjayceelyn Quintana has reached out to the families of the Filipinos killed in the blast to express condolences and to give assurance that they will receive necessary assistance. According to Quintana, the Philippine Embassy continues to work with UAE authorities on some injured Filipinos who were brought to the hospital for treatment of minor and moderate injuries so that they can be given appropriate support. Ten Filipinos, including two children, were among 26 people injured in the explosion. An Abu Dhabi Police representative confirmed to Expatmedia.net that the suspected gas explosion happened at a restaurant in the building along Rashid Bin Saeed Street, more popularly known as Airport Road. One of the relatives of the victims, M.B. (full name withheld), reached out to Expatmedia.net to initially ask help to find the Filipina. M.B. was reportedly working as a cashier at one of the fast food chains in the building at the time of the blast. Relatives later confirmed that M.B.'s body was found under the rubble. The blast was caused by a fault in the gas installation, police told Expatmedia.net. Abu Dhabi Media said onsite investigations revealed the incident was caused by "misalignment in the gas container fittings following refuelling". Video footage taken by witnesses at the site showed debris littering the streets surrounding the building, with several vehicles damaged by the impact of the blast. "I was getting ready for work when I felt our building shake, like there was an earthquake. And then I heard the explosion," Rose Angel (full name withheld), a Filipina resident of an adjacent building, told Expatmedia.net. She said the incident happened at around 10am. ICA/Expat Media
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