Nearly 20 shops gutted in Dahiyet Al Rawda commercial complex fire

AMMAN — Civil Defence Department (CDD) personnel on Friday morning put out a huge blaze that engulfed a large part of a commercial complex in Dahiyet Al Rawda, damaging nearly 20 stores, of which 11 furniture shops were completely gutted, according to eyewitnesses.  

Authorities said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of fire.

Kamal Abdul Latif, Firas Nawaiseh and Ghassan Odeh, all of whom are owners of furniture shops in the area, told The Jordan Times on Saturday that they received a call on Friday morning, between 10am and 11am, notifying them about the fire.

Odeh, whose store was unscathed by fire, said that there were no casualties as shops were closed on Friday, adding that authorities sealed off the building to ensure safety from falling debris.

"The fire first started at furniture shops on the first floor, and due to the heat, walls on the second floor melted causing damage to the cloth stores,” Odeh said.

The far end of the three-storey spiral-shaped complex can be seen filled with ashes and debris, with many furniture shops totally gutted in the blaze.

Abdul Latif and Nawaiseh, while trying to salvage what they could from the debris, said they do not know what to do next as they are waiting for the results of the CDD investigation. 

Even after the conclusion of the probe, they are not sure if anything can be done to compensate for what they have lost, the duo said. 

"I came from Tabarbur to work, we usually open at 11am, this used to be a hair salon. I received a call about fire in the complex... but we have no idea how it all happened," said Rima Ibrahim, who works in the salon.

She said that materials in the shop melted due to the heat, rather than the fire. 

Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Chairman Khalil Haj Tawfiq on Friday said that initial estimates put the loss at around JD1 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He added that most shops were not insured against fire risk, and everyone is waiting for the results of the CDD investigation, Petra reported.

Tawfiq called on traders to raise awareness about the importance of insuring shops against fire damage, voicing the ACC's readiness to contact insurance companies and obtain discounts for the matter.