Fire engulfs Dubai's Marina Torch, one of world's tallest apartment buildings
A fire erupted early Saturday morning at the Marina Torch in Dubai, the 79-floor skyscraper that is among the world's tallest residential buildings. According to a report in the English-language Gulf News, hundreds were evacuated from the building but high winds hindered firefighters' initial efforts to contain the blaze. It has since been extinguished, according to local witnesses.
Resident Kathryn Dickie told ABC News that the building's fire alarms started blaring about 2 a.m. She lives on the 13th foor.
"The guards were pretty frantic," she said.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries in the blaze, which was believed to have started around the 52nd floor. The building is part of the densely populated and highrise-filled marina district, popular among Dubai's ex-patriate population.
Those nearby have flooded social media with frightening and spectacular images of the fire.
Fire #Dubai #TorchTower pic.twitter.com/CCDKrkS3zy
— Cyrille Sekretev (@CyrilleSekretev) February 20, 2015
@bbann230 IMAGES (@daveying99): Massive fire engulfs Dubai’s Torch tower, a 79-floor residential building pic.twitter.com/WsEPZdyVH9”
— David Coble (@dcoble12) February 21, 2015
Torch tower: Fire seems to be under control, but flares whenever wind blows http://t.co/zfY0CsRYvC pic.twitter.com/wwtGDWTOJq
— Gulf News (@gulf_news) February 21, 2015
While thousands have been evacuated. here is a before-and-after of the #Dubai skyscraper under #fire as we speak pic.twitter.com/Anv4FtSHhs
— David Haddad (@daveying99) February 21, 2015
#Dubai #Fire - when is it going to stop? I really hope only the outer panels are burning & not the inside pic.twitter.com/iaARXC0WHp
— Rola Rolzaa (@rolarolzaa) February 20, 2015
Torch Tower resident: "You can actually see the flames being pushed out by the fire hoses" - http://t.co/H1LO5CQxgi https://t.co/BA7qTTDN5H
— ABC News (@ABC) February 21, 2015
BREAKING: #TorchTower entrance now. Fire is done - @JohnTsiorispic.twitter.com/nGauJER823
— Conflict News (@rConflictNews) February 21, 2015