Five Lankans dead in Doha fire

Rasika Somarathna

DOHA: Five Sri Lankan male migrant workers have died while two others sustained serious injuries in a fire in Doha in the wee hours of yesterday.

According to sources at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment the fire had broken out in an apartment at Al Mayoom street in Doha City where nine Sri Lankans were staying.

They added that the Doha Police had confirmed their deaths.

They had died on the spot. However two other Lankans living in the same apartment had jumped out of a window to escape the raging blaze and were out of danger with only minor injuries sources said.

Meanwhile news reaching Sri Lanka says that the other two who have sustained serious injuries were being treated at a hospital in the city but was in a critical condition.

The SLBFE yesterday said the Sri Lankan embassy in Qatar was closely interacting with local Authorities in investigations and to help the affected migrant workers.

They also added that the Doha Police had launched an extensive investigation into the incident but the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Chairman SLBFE Kingsley Ranawaka said the next of kin back home had already been notified and that all necessary measures would be taken to help the affected families including to bring back the remains and funeral matters.

He also added that Authorities in Doha was keeping a close eye on the two injured Lankans and the latest developments regarding the incident. The dead have been identified as Thusitha Ananda-Embilipitiya, Roshan Kumara-Akuressa, Nimal-Chilaw, Asela Madusanka-Bulathsinhala and Nalinda Kumara of Tambuttegama.

The two injured are Dulan Salika of Hatton and Vijitha Aluthgedarage of Ginigathhena.