Fire breaks out at luxury Dubai tower
Yahoo News on July 20, 2016, 11:37 pm
[video=youtube;1SNyxLlDFC4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SNyxLlDFC4[/video]
[video=youtube;CpatZQD1ChY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpatZQD1ChY[/video]
A 75-storey skyscraper in Dubai's popular Marina district caught on fire, with parts of the building's facade tumbling to the streets below.
The fire broke out on the 35th floor of the Sulafa Tower just before 3pm local time on Wednesday with the blaze quickly spreading.
The fire in Dubai. Source: Dubai Media Office/Twitter
The fire in Dubai. Source: Mahir Vrazalic/Twitter
Residents were quickly evacuated from the luxury tower, with no reports of anyone trapped inside.
Vision of the fire shows black smoke billowing out from one side of the building, as bystanders are moved out of the way of floating debris.
The fire in Dubai. Source: Thomas Ferguson/Twitter
The fire in Dubai. Source: Reuters/Twitter
The nearby Westin Dubai hotel said Sulafa Tower residents could wait inside its ballroom as fire crews work to extinguish the blaze.
"To anyone affected by the tower fire, we are opening up The Westin ballroom should you need temporary shelter and refreshments," the hotel tweeted.
Residents have described the terrifying scenes on the ground where emergency services have set up to battle the fire.
Strong winds have only encouraged the fire, which could have spread to as much as two thirds of the block.
Fire crews appear to have the blaze under control after a couple of hours.
The Sulafa Tower is the 127th tallest building in the world and the 23rd tallest in Dubai. The same building was evacuated due to fire in 2012.
