In a heroic act that saved her three children from dying in a terrible house fire, an Emirati woman succeeded in pulling her kids out of the place seconds before it exploded, Khaleej Times reported.
The fire broke out in the Ras Al Khaimah's Khuzam area on Monday night and was caused by a faulty air conditioning unit located in the children's room.
After the mother rushed into the room, she realized there's no longer a way out through the door. She had to smash the room's window to help her children out, before exiting herself.
In a statement on the matter, local civil defense officers, who reported to the scene, said:
"The room was filled with heavy smoke. She could have died from suffocation, but rescuing her kids mattered more than her own safety."
"The burning AC then exploded, just seconds after the three kids and their mother got out," they added.
The country's civil defense officials hailed the mother as a hero and said her family wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for her bravery.
"If she acted too late - even just a few seconds - she might not have been able to rescue the kids, herself or the entire house," they explained.
Investigations into the fire confirmed that it originated in the children's room.
"The RAK Civil Defence team cordoned off the house on fire and evacuated residents in nearby homes to ensure everyone's safety," Khaleej Times wrote.
The three children sustained minor injuries during their evacuation, while their mother suffered serious injuries to her shoulder. They were all attended to by a team of paramedics who was called into the scene.
AC-caused fires are not uncommon in the Gulf
In the wake of the incident, local authorities urged UAE residents to "ensure that all their appliances and electronics are in good condition, particularly air-conditioners."
In Gulf countries, officials have long warned of fires caused by AC units that are used for long hours due to boiling-point summer temperatures.
"Air-conditioners running for long hours every day, low-quality devices, poor electric supplies, and lack of regular maintenance are some of the main reasons behind fatal fire incidents," officials explained.
Such incidents are unfortunately not uncommon in the Gulf country. In June 2018, an Emirati mother lost all of her children - seven kids aged five to 13 years - in a fire that broke out in their villa.