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Authority releases safety warning in Oman after school fire breaks out

Fire Safety

After a serious fire resulted in 14 people from Oman’s Um Fadhil Primary School Birkat Al Mouz being taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries, safety experts have issued warning to maintain safety and security in air-conditioning units

Speaking to the Times of Oman, the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) spokesman confirmed that the civil defence team managed to control the blaze with 14 cases of injuries ranging from medium to simple.

All of them have been discharged from hospital, reported the source.

Addressing the concerns of the parents, administrators and teachers involved with the school, Aisha Al Sulaimi, the head of the school, said that after the final examination, the cause of fire outbreak has come out to be a short circuit in the air conditioner.

The school is located in the town of Birkat Al Mouz, in the Dakhiliyah Governorate, about 133km from the capital, Muscat.

Following the accident, PACDA and safety expert in the country warned the locals about the danger of split air conditioning units and ways to safeguarding against electrical fires. While speaking to the source, the spokesman stressed the need of closure of electrical appliances after the premises are vacant.

Irshad Abdulmajeed, representative from the Fire and Gas Detection department at Oman, said that the smoke detectors must be fitted in all rooms. In addition, there should be a centralised panel to operate these, with all the bells and alarms to be heard clearly across all rooms.

“Whenever any smoke is released, these detectors will sound, and the panel will show you where this fire is taking place. This panel must be located near an entrance, so that it can be easily accessed and monitored. We have done installations in lots of educational institutions, and a detection system is a must,” he explained to the source.

He further said that the exit boards should be present at all places, with all lights being activated when the electricity goes off in case of an emergency, so that people can come out safely.

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