16 including Malayali couple killed, nine injured in fire in residential building in Dubai 

DUBAI: Sixteen people including two Malayalees died and nine sustained injuries as a massive fire ripped through the fourth floor of a residential building in Al Ras, Dubai. A fire broke out on the building where Talal Supermarket is located at 12 noon on Saturday. Rijesh (38), a native of Vengara Kalangadan in Malappuram, and his wife Jeshi (32) of Kandamangam are the Malayalees, killed in the accident.

Abdul Khader and Saliakund, natives of Tamil Nadu, three from Pakistan and a Nigerian woman were among the dead. Reports said short circuit is the cause of danger. The smoke from here spread to Rijesh's room. Rijesh and his wife died after inhaling the smoke. He was an employee of a travels company. Jeshi was a teacher at Crescent English High School in Dubai.

The security personnel engaged in the rescue operations also died in the fire. Naseer Vatanappally, an Indian social worker said all bodies of the dead have been shifted to the mortuary. He said he was coordinating with the Dubai Police, the Indian Consulate in Dubai, other diplomatic missions and friends and relatives of the dead.