Thousands Evacuated after Fire Engulfs Dubai Tower


TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A massive fire has been brought under control in one of Dubai's tallest residential towers in Dubai, social-media sources said.

The blaze started overnight on the 50th floor of the Torch, located in the upscale Marina district, according to a local resident quoted by Dubai's Gulf News daily's website.

The 336 metre tower, with 79 floors above ground, is one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.

A resident of the skyscraper said the fire alarm went off at 2.05am on Saturday.

One witness said the fire started in the middle of the tower before spreading down, describing it as like "the Titanic going down".

Strong winds helped the blaze to spread across building.

Up to 10 fire tenders ferrying water hoses, police and ambulances were deployed to fight the fire.

Twitter posts by residents of Dubai Marina spoke of people suffering from smoke inhalation being rescued from the tower.

It was not immediately known what caused the fire or whether people were inside the building.

Dubai Police had reported no casualties as of early Saturday morning, Al Jazeera reported.