Several vehicles, most of them old, and construction equipment, including tippers and trailers, were destroyed yesterday afternoon in a massive fire that engulfed a large area in Sailiyah on the outskirts of Doha Industrial Area.
Civil Defence teams battling the blaze. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed
However, no loss of lives was reported until late in the evening.
Though the exact losses are unknown, sources reported heavy losses to the operators of the yard and storehouses in the neighbourhood.
A large number of portacabins and belongings of residents of the camp were also destroyed in the fire, the cause of which was unknown even late in the evening.
Members of a local social networking site raised doubts if inflammable materials were among other things stored at the site. However, no details were available .
Plumes of smoke could be seen even from far-away places, according to Industrial Area residents.
Eyewitnesses said it took several hours for the Civil Defence personnel to bring the fire under control, with dark smoke still visible as the sun set yesterday.
Several fire engines and water tankers were rushed to the area within an hour of the outbreak of the fire, which reportedly started around 1.45pm. A number of emergency ambulances were also rushed to the place. The entire area was cordoned off by the police to ensure smooth firefighting and rescue operations.
The fire came just two weeks after a similar fire at a building under construction in the Pearl Qatar development and almost a month after the deadly fire at the Villaggio Mall on May 28, which claimed 19 lives, 13 of them children.
Yet another fire was reported earlier in the day in the Vegetable Market Area, where an office belonging to the Municipality was partly gutted, though no one was injured.