Fire tragedy: many lessons to be learnt

There is grief in the Wilayat of Saham and North al Batinah as well as across the country because of death of ten members of a family in a fire accident. Smoke caused suffocation for the family members, resulting in the tragedy. Since the tragedy was so serious that the shock could not be absorbed at once. The incident was covered prominently by the electronic and traditional media, while it was widely discussed on social media. However, what is important is to draw lessons from the incident. We should look into the reasons that led to the fire. This is important to prepare ourselves to prevent such incidents and take effective measures. The next step is for the officials, security agencies or the police to consider measures to prevent such incidents in the future. We should ensure all houses in all governorates of the Sultanate are equipped with safety devices, including electronic sensors which can be available at affordable prices. On the other hand, the death toll should not have been so high as the fire broke out during the daylight. It is necessary to re-examine how connections are laid for electricity in the homes. It must be looked into if the electrical works were conducted by specialised engineers licensed by the government agencies. Similarly, it is important to confirm the safety of equipment and electrical wires, and whether they conform to the standard specifications. The awareness among the people about such issues is a must. It should be given utmost importance in the programmes of government agencies like municipalities. Awareness campaigns should be held at various forums to teach the people about safety and security in our daily lives. It is a huge responsibility for all of us to raise awareness about it. Awareness and preventive measures can save people from many threats and damages. Educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, can play a crucial and effective role in such efforts. Millions of children study in educational institutions, from kindergarten to universities. These institutions can also start awareness campaigns on health and safety. It would be great if these programmes are part of the curriculum of educational institutions. Accidents will keep taking place, mostly due to wrong practices, human errors and flaws in systems. Such aspects should not be neglected. We should not have the false belief that once such an incident has occurred, it is unlikely to take place again. We should come out of such thinking at the earliest to avoid any such incidents in the future. We pray Almighty that the accident and its pain will be the last such grieving experience for the people of Saham and the entire Sultanate. This incident should be a lesson for all of us. We should learn systematically. We should revisit our awareness and guidance systems to make sure that it benefits human lives and their belongings. ali.matani2@gmail.com