Blaze rips through ‘The Torch’ in Dubai

DUBAI – Agence France-Presse

Panicked residents fled one of the tallest towers in Dubai early Aug. 4 after a fire ripped through it, the second blaze to hit the skyscraper in as many years.

Authorities said no casualties were reported from the blaze which erupted in the middle to upper floors of The Torch, once the tallest residential development in the world.

The tower was the scene of a 2015 inferno that caused extensive damage to its luxury flats and triggered an evacuation of nearby blocks in the Marina neighborhood.

Dubai authorities Aug. 4 said the fire had been put out. There was no immediate indication of what caused the blaze at the 337-meter structure.

The fire started on the 63rd floor, said Dubai police commander-in-chief Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri.

“We received a report of a fire. We thank God that there were no casualties, that because of the efforts of all teams on the ground...the residents were evacuated from this building to another one and there were no injuries.”

Images published by Dubai Civil Defense showed The Torch after the flames were brought under control: lights were still on in some lower floors, but the middle to upper section appeared to be completely burned out.

In January Dubai announced tougher rules to minimize fire risks after a series of tower blazes in the modern emirate mostly due to flammable material used in cladding, a covering or coating used on the side of the buildings.