Thousands evacuated after fire engulfs world’s tallest residential towers in Dubai

A huge fire engulfed one of the world’s tallest residential towers in Dubai’s Marina district, sending bright yellow flames several stories high, but there were no reports of casualties, civil defence officials said.


The fire broke out at about 2am on Saturday in the 86-storey Torch tower on the northeast end of the densely populated district, which is packed with multi-storey skyscrapers.

High winds whipped through the area and debris from the fire cluttered nearby streets after the blaze appeared to be extinguished.

The civil defence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

The Marina area is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels, many of them built over the past decade. The apartments are popular with Dubai’s large number of expatriate professionals.

Police blocked off areas around the 336 metre-high Torch tower, which still had power. Lights were on in many of the apartments inside and multiple fire trucks and police vehicles were on the scene.

Residents of at least one neighbouring tower were told to evacuate as a precaution because of strong winds, but they were later allowed back inside.

One witness said the fire started in the middle of the tower before spreading down, describing it as like “the Titanic going down”. Flaming material falling from the initial fire then set a lower part of the building ablaze, witnesses said.

(Al Jazeera)