Syed Hussein Al -Qassab
With the climax of summer and the high temperatures in the Kingdom of Bahrain, anxiety is renewed from the increasing fire accidents that have become a real threat to lives and property, and these fears increase specifically in light of the continued violations of security and safety requirements, especially in workers ’housing that often turn into“ time bombs ”, explode in one moment to leave behind a human tragedy And material. Between neglect in maintenance, excess electrical loading, and human accumulation within unqualified housing places, a series of painful incidents faced by civil defense teams, which operate around the clock to deal with the increasing reports. It is no secret to anyone that this phenomenon, which is repeated every summer, represents a challenge to the concerned agencies, and raises the alarm towards the necessity of effective action to contain this crisis and reduce its damages.
Fire accidents between April and May
2025, according to what was monitored from the Ministry of Interior account through the X application, accidents varied between fires in housing, farms and vehicles, and resulted in varying deaths and injuries. Civil defense teams have dealt with several reports, most notably:
1- A fire in a farm and several vehicles in Arad.2- A fire in a residential building in Al-Naeem resulted in the rescue of 3 people. Al-Debia.7- The death of a young man with special needs and his mother in a fire in Al-Hujayat.8- A fire in a house in Qudaibiya required the evacuation of neighboring buildings in a precaution. On Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Street, near the Saar area.
These incidents are a dangerous indication of the escalation of risks associated with the weakness of the commitment of some parties and individuals to safety standards, especially in locations where congestion and neglect abound.
The height of the cure, which is called for the caution, the Director General of the General Administration of Civil Defense, Brigadier General Tayyar Ali Al -Kubaisi, is the importance of taking safety and security measures to avoid fires during the summer, indicating that the excessive loading on electricity and the lack of maintenance of household appliances constitute major reasons for the electrical petitions that cause fire. He explained that the high temperatures and large electric loads are enhancing the speed of the spread of fire, pointing out that the civil defense teams dealt with 1258 accidents in the summer of 2023, and the number rose to 1441 accidents in the summer of 2024, which reflects the escalation of the pace of these accidents in a worrying way. Brigadier Al -Kubaisi called for avoiding the operation of several devices on one electrical source, and separating the unused devices to reduce the consumption of electricity and the risk of fires, stressing the importance of periodic maintenance of electrical connections and their quality. He also stressed the necessity of examining the cooling system in vehicles and conducting their maintenance regularly, stressing that adhering to these recommendations contributes to prevention and reduce losses in the event of fire.
The dwellings of the microscopic workers on his side, the head of the Muharraq Municipal Council, Abdulaziz Al -Nida, explained that most of the fire accidents occur in workers’ housing, due to the lack of their commitment to safety procedures, as some people download electricity more than they bear, which leads to pressure and explosion. He pointed out that some workers use old electrical appliances, such as air conditioners that are saved by the people, which are devices that consume high energy, and increase the possibility of electrical contact, especially in light of the weak electrical connections inside these buildings.
He pointed out that the residential “seizures” system, which makes the apartments inhabited throughout the day, increases the stress of electrical current, and constitutes a completely unsafe environment. He emphasized the existence of a failure by some of the lessors who do not monitor the conditions of buildings, and do not impose restrictions on the population in each room. He added that the municipal council formed a joint committee in cooperation with the relevant authorities to implement inspection campaigns, while receiving communications and taking measures, but the volume of violations is large, and it needs awareness of workers and lessors alike.
The necessity of monitoring and follow -up on his part, the President of the Southern Region Council, Abdullah Abdullatif, explained that most of the incidents result from weak safety procedures in workers’ housing, stressing that the reasons range from gas leaks, high pressure on electricity, accumulation of clothes, and smoking inside the stone, in addition to the lack of awareness among workers of the importance of safety and hygiene. He called for the necessity of intensifying oversight by the competent authorities. He suggested putting “stickers” on the buildings indicating the extent of their commitment to safety procedures, so that housing is known if it is violating or disciplined, and fines are imposed and the violators are forced to correct their conditions.
The responsibility of his group, the Chairman of the Legal and Financial Committee of the Muharraq Council, Municipal Member Ahmed Al -Muqawi, affirmed that the inspection campaigns are already in the governorate, and citizens’ complaints are received and dealt with immediately, but he stressed that the volume of work is large, and he needs to join together all the concerned authorities.
He added that the municipal council does not hesitate to provide recommendations and solutions to confront these incidents, stressing that the fires are not limited to workers ’housing only, but also include the housing of citizens, which requires continuing awareness and organization to reduce the possibilities of fires in the future.
The near last Drosmen are the most prominent previous incidents that are still engraved in the memory of Bahraini society:
– The collapse of the Arad building as a result of a gas cylinder explosion inside a restaurant that did not adhere to the security and safety requirements, as the accident resulted in the death of a person and the injury of four others, while the civil defense saved two people from under the rubble.
– The fire of the Manama Market, which killed a man and two women, and resulted in the injury and suffocation of 9 people, while more than 25 commercial stores and neighboring buildings were devoured, after it started from a building consisting of 3 floors, and extended very quickly. The solution begins with commitment
Repeated fire accidents in Bahrain, especially in workers’ housing, represent a dangerous alarm that must be taken seriously, not only from government agencies, but from the entire society, from lessors, residents and officials. And urgent action must be; Because it is time to take more critical steps at the level of legislation and implementation, to impose full commitment to safety measures, and to hold all those who neglect this vital file. The summer is still in its infancy, and the heat is constantly escalating, which means that the possibilities of accidents exist if enough caution is not taken. Protecting lives and property requires actual addition between various sides and sectors, and not only launching warnings after the disaster. Prevention is the first line of defense, which is the responsibility of everyone without exception.
