Doha

The Hamad Medical Corporation ( HMC) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of a long time employee's wife in a fire in one of its staff accommodations, early on Sunday.

Chona (47), wife of Rafael Pingul,(45), an operating theatre technician with HMC, was the victim. Pingul, who has been with HMC since 1999, and a daughter, Micaela,(13), are in critical condition. Their son, Raffi (15), is also under HMC care presently.

HMC maintained that its team at Hamad General Hospital, with help from others, is doing everything possible to support the family and their loved ones.

HMC also stated that the Corporation has taken immediate steps to provide suitable emergency accommodation for other staff members and their families in the building to ensure their safety and well being.

Meanwhile, a resident of the apartment told Gulf Times that more than 20 families in the building in Al Muntazah area, will be relocated to another accommodation.

While only one unit was razed by the fire, the residents have been told to move into a new building in the same area, he told. The residents are employees of HMC.

However, the families are still staying in the old building since the rooms at the new accommodation have only air-conditioning units. Every floor of the affected four-storey building has three flats. Each flat, according to the source, consists of three rooms, a living room, a toilet and a dining area.

“But all of us are preparing now because we have to leave in 10 days,” he continued.

Recounting the tragic incident, he said that he heard someone from another floor screaming for help.

“I woke up and was shocked to hear people going down from every floor at around 2am,” he recollected. “I went out of my flat and knocked the door of other flats to wake those who were still sleeping.”

While families and their children were rushing to go out, he said, the fire engines had been trying to put out the fire.

“We were really caught by surprise because most of us were sleeping and we did not know how the fire started,” the source added.

He said that he had visited one of the victims’ children at the Hamad Hospital, and was told that their mother died of smoke inhalation.