Blaze in Dubai’s Torch Tower extinguished without injuries!

DUBAI: A fire that broke out in the middle of the night at one of Dubai’s highest residential skyscrapers, Torch Tower, was extinguished early Friday, authorities confirmed.

Dubai’s media office said that the fire had “been brought under control” and “cooling operations are under way” in a series of tweets on Friday.
No casualties have been reported, the office said.
Earlier, a Dubai police spokesperson told Gulf News the fire broke out on the ninth floor of the over 80-storey building, while video posted online showed a number of levels engulfed in flames.

The area around the building was cordoned off, after parts of the building and glass fell to the ground. Eyewitnesses told Gulf News that there was “smoke everywhere.”
The 352-metre-high building, which is home to 658 apartments and one of the tallest residential blocks in the world, was also hit by a major fire in 2015. Construction on the building was completed in 2011.
Authorities said they were working on providing shelter to displaced residents at the nearby Princess Tower, also located in the city’s Marina district.
A cause of the fire has not yet been given.
Dubai, a regional business and media hub, is famous for its skyscrapers.
Over the past two years, several fire have broken out in tall towers in Dubai, the latest in February at a construction site near Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centres in the world.
On December 31, 2015, a blaze disrupted New Year’s festivities in Dubai’s city centre causing injuries due to smoke inhalation.
In January 2017, Dubai introduced tougher fire safety regulations aimed at reducing the flammability of the exterior cladding of the towers, which was previously blamed for several fires. — dpa