Share

Dubai Hotel Catches Fire, Panic And Fear Reported By Witnesses

Hours later, dark smoky clouds kept on coming out of the building and could be seen from the Burj Khalifa where people were engrossed watching the spectacular firework.

Advertisement


S Korean officials to talk to sex slaves
Asked whether China believed Japan was honest in resolving the issue, Lu said the government would be watching. South Korean President Park Geun-hye promised that her nation will consider the matter closed.

The Address Downtown hotel, opened in May 2008 and owned by Dubai property giant Emaar’s hospitality group, is the 18th tallest building in the city and the 93rd highest in the world. AFP/Getty Images Flames rip through the Address Downtown hotel after it was hit by a massive fire, near the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, on December 31, 2015.


Arsenal have the requested quality to fight and compete: Arsene Wenger
It is a bad thing in our job ― we always want to be successful and we wish that the others are not. Newcastle midfielder Vurnon Anita is out of Saturday’s trip to Arsenal through injury.

A luxury hotel caught on fire lighting up downtown Dubai’s skyline just ahead of its elaborate New Years Eve celebration and fireworks display.


Pellegrini says Manchester City have ‘complete’ squad
For Pellegrini, the most pressing issue right now is getting to the bottom of Vincent Kompany’s injury problems. “All of them must celebrate New Year’s Eve but I think they can do it early – maximum 1am”.

The fireworks are put on the Burj Khalif, Burj Al Arab -a sail-shaped construction and over an artificially created palm-shaped island.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which covered at least 20 stories of the building near the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, AP reports.

The Dubai government has said it will provide residents of The Address alternative hotel accommodation.

The Dubai government’s media office said the blaze had started on the 20th floor, on the outside of the 300-metre tower, and that internal fire-fighting systems were operating to try to prevent it getting inside the hotel.

“Security services are investigating the causes and circumstances of the fire”, said the statement.

After nearly two hours of fearing for his life, Mallari came up with a last ditch plan: He’d rappel down the building on a window-washer’s cable even though it wasn’t quite long enough to make it. Witnesses said they heard explosions as the blaze ate away at one side of the towering structure in the heart of downtown Dubai.

Among them was Chris Browne, who was visiting from London with her husband Stephen.

“I got scared”, he said. “We were impressed with how easy we got out of there”.

Witnesses in the area said several nearby skyscrapers were evacuated.

“You feel sad for the people inside….”

Still it remains unclear as to what caused the fire, which broke out as large crowds had gathered to celebrate the the New Year.

The fire at the Address building had take hold in minutes. She, too, was concerned about threats from extremists like the Islamic State group.

“It just spread very rapidly”, Besheer said.

“A tourist, Michelle Duque told the BBC: “All of a sudden we saw this huge black plume of black smoke coming between the Khalifa Tower and the hotel”.

Mandour said she and her family dashed out of the apartment and began knocking on neighbors’ doors and shouting for everyone to leave.

Advertisement

The photographer, who asked not to be named, said he was trapped on a balcony by fire and smoke. The Address boasts a luxury hotel with almost 200 rooms, along with more than 600 residential units.

Smoke billows from the Address Downtown skyscraper in Dubai United Arab Emirates on Friday Jan. 1 2016