The Ministry of Interior revealed a 31 percent drop in fire accidents in buildings and establishments in 2016, compared to the previous year.

Fire accidents dropped from 3,388 in 2015 to 2,352 in 2016, thanks to timely response to fire accidents, alertness, the introduction of modern fire prevention technology, qualified firefighters, sustained public awareness campaigns against risks of fires, and intensified efforts to meet challenges as a united team, guided by an integrated and co-ordinated doctrine, Major General Jassem Mohammed Al Marzouqi, General Commander of Civil Defence at the Ministry of Interior, said.

''Fatalities from fires also declined from 23 in 2015 to 16 in 2016, a decrease of 52 percent,'' he noted.

Fires at households went down by 7 percent in 2016, when compared to the 2015 figures, he remarked.

Figures showed that civil defence inspectors had visited and inspected 4,167 buildings and establishments in the first half of 2016.