World

Fire engulfs Dubai residential sky-scraper

The fire began at the 50th floor of the 79-floor tower. No deaths have been reported so far

Afp February 21, 2015

A screengrab from a video posted online of the plaza on fire.

DUBAI: A huge fire engulfed one of the tallest towers of the Gulf emirate of Dubai early Saturday. The blaze has gutted the upper part of The Torch residential skyscraper, which stands 336.1-metre (1,105-feet) high, triggering evacuation of nearby towers in the Dubai Marina neighbourhood.

The lower fire is now much bigger! It's spreading so fast :( #Dubai #Fire pic.twitter.com/6bjZ4l5K6S
— Rola Fattal (@rolarolzaa) February 20, 2015

The fire began at the 50th floor of the 79-floor tower, the Gulf News daily said on its website citing a resident, adding that people were being rescued with smoke inhalation injuries. No deaths have been reported so far. https://twitter.com/MoBroRic/status/568935672712601600/photo/1 Dubai, known for its skyline of skyscrapers, has seen fires at towers in the past.

PHOTO: REUTERS

In 2012, a huge blaze gutted the 34-Tamweel tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.

PHOTO: REUTERS

COMMENTS (5)

zara | 9 years ago | Reply And its not funny ppl lose their documents, cash jewellary clothes., sort ofhomeless. its very sad. And its very scary to see fire accidents i have seen three through my eyes . One was in our neighbourhood and my fathers car purani bhuddi gaari was parked there also caught fire and then went to scrap. Its very very scaryyy. Very scary.

zara | 9 years ago | Reply @usman278: No i dont think so. Just assuming from what i have read from some past incident. There is a facade panelling used in new dubai buildings, that if bldg catches fire that material, i forgot its name ,it burns very fast and spreads fire. Sort of combustability is good. And this thing was figured out in some past accident. Also one moee thing ppl standing on top level balconis throw the burning stub landing in balconies, levels down, sometimes with unused furniture or cardboards stored there which eventually flare up the fire. And then when it reaches facade it gets wild So ya thats that.

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Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply That.......does not look good.....hope they get in under control FAST.

Sodomite | 9 years ago | Reply @usman278: Exactly.

usman278 | 9 years ago | Reply let me guess, petrodollars can't buy routine water sprinkler inspections once the foreign architects, engineers and laypersons have left...

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