A boy who saved two children from a burning house in Ajman has been honoured for his courage by Civil Defence.
Earlier this month 17-year-old Mohammed Hammad spotted a fire at a house in Al Rawdah 2 area in Ajman and called civil defence.
Meanwhile the Syrian noticed two children trying to escape the house and rushed to their aid.
"He took a ladder aided by a man who was passing by and climbed up the wall and managed to take the two little children to safety," said Brig Rashid Majlad, acting director of Ajman Civil Defence.
Civil Defence teams arrived soon after and rescued a 60-year-old Pakistani man and his daughter before controlling the fire with water and foam, he said.
"It was heroic what Mohammed Hammad did and that's why we are honouring him for his courage and for reacting in a proper manner to such a situation which as a result helped save an entire family," Brig Majlad said.
The father and daughter suffered minor injuries and were referred to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman for treatment.
Maj Marwan Al Shamsi, director of civil defence centres in Ajman, said Mohammed reported the fire at 3pm on July 19.
"Fire fighters from the general department and from the industrial area civil defence centre were dispatched to the location and managed to control the fire quickly," he said.
The fire severely damaged the house and spread to the neighbouring house causing damage to an AC unit. The cause of the fire was not disclosed.
Maj Al Shamsi said tenants should ensure there are fire extinguishers available to prevent fires from spreading and urged community members to report fires immediately to 997.