Fire Engulfs Dubai Luxury Hotel Amidst New Year Fireworks.
Fire engulfed a 63-storey skyscraper in Dubai on Thursday night, but with the block evacuated and only minor injuries reported authorities went ahead with aNew Year's fireworks display at the world's tallest building a few hundred meters away.Tongues of flame shot skywards from one side of the luxury Address Downtown Dubai hotel and residentialblock, which stands across a plaza from the 160-storey Burj Khalifa tower where people had gathered for fireworks to mark the New Year.
Television pictures showed pieces of blazing debris raining down from The Address as evacuated occupants hurried away from the building, some running.downtown Dubai said.
But as midnight struck, with the Address building continuing to burn, onlookers cheered as a swirling massof multicoloured fireworks enveloped the Burj Khalifa.The Dubai government's media office said the Address blaze was 90 percent under control. Police chief Major General Khamis Matar told Al Arabiya television: more than 60 people injured with light injuries from smoke inhalation and from crowding while in the stairs evacuating the building.
One resident staying on the 15th floor of the tower, completed in 2008, told the media of the "absolute pandemonium" as those inside realized the building was ablaze.correspondent saw police evacuating a viewing area near the base of the Burj Khalifa.
The fire at the Address building had take hold in minutes.Despite massive hotelfire, Dubai's New Years show goes onwho happened to see the first few moments.
As the evacuation proceeded, there were moments of panic.The Dubai media office said the blazehad started on the 20th floor, on the outside of the 300-metre tower, and that internal fire-fighting systems wereoperating to try to prevent it getting inside the hotel.Four fire brigade teams were at the site.
Dubai is a trade, tourism and investment hub for the Gulf region, and is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates
Television pictures showed pieces of blazing debris raining down from The Address as evacuated occupants hurried away from the building, some running.downtown Dubai said.
But as midnight struck, with the Address building continuing to burn, onlookers cheered as a swirling massof multicoloured fireworks enveloped the Burj Khalifa.The Dubai government's media office said the Address blaze was 90 percent under control. Police chief Major General Khamis Matar told Al Arabiya television: more than 60 people injured with light injuries from smoke inhalation and from crowding while in the stairs evacuating the building.
One resident staying on the 15th floor of the tower, completed in 2008, told the media of the "absolute pandemonium" as those inside realized the building was ablaze.correspondent saw police evacuating a viewing area near the base of the Burj Khalifa.
The fire at the Address building had take hold in minutes.Despite massive hotelfire, Dubai's New Years show goes onwho happened to see the first few moments.
As the evacuation proceeded, there were moments of panic.The Dubai media office said the blazehad started on the 20th floor, on the outside of the 300-metre tower, and that internal fire-fighting systems wereoperating to try to prevent it getting inside the hotel.Four fire brigade teams were at the site.
Dubai is a trade, tourism and investment hub for the Gulf region, and is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates
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