Fire breaks out in Dubai skyscraper

World Today

Photo by @SRehannn, Saif Rehan.

Last updated Feb. 21 at 2:35 p.m. EST: A huge fire spread over Dubai’s ‘Marina Torch’ skyscraper early Saturday. Residents evacuated the area while hundreds went out into the streets to watch the bright yellow blaze more than 50 stories overhead.

Firefighters were able get the blaze under control about three hours after it began. No one was reported killed, but four people sustained minor injuries and were treated by ambulance crews at the scene. 

The cause of the fire still remains unclear. However, Dubai’s police chief, Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar al-Muzeina, said the fire appeared to be the result of an accident and he didn’t suspect any criminal act. The police chief also said in a statement that firefighters put out the blaze before it caused serious damage. 

It is reported that the fire began at 2 a.m. local time in the middle of the tower and soon spread across 15 of the building’s 79 floors. Large portions of the exterior of the building could be seen falling off and into the streets. Residents of the Torch were told the fire started on the 52nd floor. Several balconies were damaged, with the external cladding on the corner of more than two dozen stories from roughly the 50th floor to the top mangled and charred black.

The skyscraper, also known as the Dubai Torch, is 1,105 feet (337 meters). It is the fifth largest residential building in the world and one of the 50 tallest of all buildings in the world. The Torch is located on the northeast end of the densely populated waterfront district, which is packed with multi-story skyscrapers.

The Torch is managed by Kingfield Owner Association Management Services, which is arranging temporary shelter and supplies for affected residents. It said in a statement that everyone inside the tower was successfully evacuated.

This story was compiled with information reported by Russia Today (RT), USA Today and the Associated Press.