Hundreds of people in Dubai were on Saturday evacuated from one of the world’s tallest residential buildings when fire swept through The Torch, a 79-storey skyscraper, residents said. Reuters report:
Dubai’s police chief, General Khamis Mattar, said the fire appeared to be the result of an accident and did not suspect it was caused by any deliberate criminal act, in comments carried by state news agency WAM. He added that an investigation had started to determine the cause of the blaze, WAM reported.
A witness said flames shot out from two sides of the building as glass and metal rained down from near the summit of the structure, which stands more than 330 meters (1,082 feet) tall. Mattar said four people had suffered minor injuries. At least a dozen fire trucks extinguished the blaze several hours after the fire alarm went off around 2 a.m. (2200 GMT Friday).
Residents said the fire had been fanned by high winds, dislodging chunks of metal and glass onto the area below, including a nearby road more than 100 meters (330 feet) away. Traffic in the area was diverted and residents of two other nearby buildings in the emirate’s Marina district, home to thousands of expatriate professionals, were also evacuated, the witness said.
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