In the early hours of Monday, fire ripped through each floor of a 35-storey Dubai apartment building close to the Burj Khalifa12223erc`.
The blaze started around 2.20am before spreading through the block, which is part of a complex of towers called 8 Boulevard Walk, built by the state-backed developer Emaar.
Dramatic footage showed flames engulfing an entire corner of the building from top to bottom.
By 3.45am the blaze had been extinguished, and this morning black scorch marks could be seen scaling the building.
Authorities have yet to confirm if anyone was injured.
It is the latest in a series of fires in towers in skyscraper-studded Dubai in recent years, reviving questions about the safety of the buildings and cladding used in the country.
On New Year’s Eve in 2015, a blaze engulfed the Address Downtown, one of the most upmarket hotels in Dubai, also near the Burj Khalifa.
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Speaking to the National World, Bindu Rai, who lives opposite the building, said: “My mother woke up when the fire started as her entire room was lit up.
“My building faces Boulevard 8 and from what appeared to us, the cladding on the left side of the building was on fire from top to bottom.
“Fire had spread inside two apartments that were somewhere mid-way. For the rest of the building, it was limited to the exterior.”
Miss Bindu told the publication she could see debris tumbling to the ground at one point, as well as firefighters and emergency crews at the scene.
Her friend who lives close to the building told her that residents had been evacuated, with some being taken to the Rove hotel.
The blaze was not immediately acknowledged by Dubai police, and Dubai Media Office and Emaar have not yet released statements.
Numerous blazes in Dubai buildings in recent years have raised questions about safety, with concerns over materials used in construction.
In April, a large fire erupted at the Swissotel Al Murooj Hotel. No one was injured.
*Courtesy: dailymail.co.uk
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