A Dubai resident continues to battle for her life after sustaining severe burn injuries in a fire caused by a gas explosion in her building in Al Barsha earlier this month.

On May 13, a fire broke out at the Al Zarooni building on Halim Street in Barsha 1, near the Mall of the Emirates. The blaze originated from a gas leak at the Pearl View restaurant and cafeteria, situated in the 13-storey building.

Annalyn, who was staying on the first floor of the building directly above the restaurant where the explosion occurred, sustained 65 per cent burn injuries and is in the burn unit of a government hospital, according to her sister Angely.

“Ever since I got the call about her, I have been worried sick,” Angely told Khaleej Times over phone. “I work in Saudi Arabia as a nurse, and I have not yet been able to travel to the UAE. I am hoping to come there by the end of May when I will be able to get a few days of leave.”

According to Dubai Civil Defence (DCD), the incident was caused by a gas leak in a restaurant and was contained in record time. Several residents reported that they had spent the following days with friends and family.

According to Angely, her sister and her brother-in-law suffered burn injuries and were rushed to the hospital. Her sister was in a more critical condition and remains in the burn unit while her brother-in-law is more stable and is recovering in the ward. “It was quite late in the night, and they were preparing to go to bed,” she said. “That is when the disaster occurred.”

Timely updates

She said the hospital staff has been giving her family timely updates about Annelyn’s condition but there is a long road to recovery. In photos seen by Khaleej Times, the Filipina can be seen on a hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment. The sister confirmed that Annalyn has been tracheostomized — a process where an opening is surgically created through the neck into the windpipe to allow air to fill the lungs.

“We are worried about their hospital bills and how their future life is going to be,” she said. “Recovering from burn injuries can take a very long time and requires constant care and attention.”

One of the main breadwinners of the family, Annalyn and her husband have been UAE residents for over a decade. Although she started off her career as a receptionist, Annalyn had recently moved jobs to work at a gym where her husband had been a long-time employee.