THIS is the chilling moment a huge fire engulfs a 62-storey residential skyscraper in Dubai Marina – home to 3,820 people.
Emergency teams spent six hours battling the overnight blaze until Saturday morning, according to the Dubai Media Office.
All 3,820 residents from 764 apartments were safely evacuated, the Dubai Media Office said in its live updates on X.
This morning, a statement from the media office announced that the fire had been contained. They explained that the smoke visible at the scene is from ongoing cooling operations, which are part of the firefighting efforts.
“Control measures remain in place and the situation is fully managed by the firefighting teams,” it added.
One resident told Khaleej Times: “I was on the 24th floor with my wife when we smelled something burning around 9:45 pm.
“We checked our apartment but found nothing. From the balcony, we saw firefighters and people outside.
“A friend called and said he couldn’t enter because of the fire. Security only told us to leave when we called them.”
The fire started on the upper floors of Tiger Tower, also referred to as Marina Pinnacle, around 9:30 PM, as reported by the UAE-based news outlet, The National.
After fleeing the burning tower, residents gathered in the streets as emergency teams tried to put out the fire, the outlet reported.
Residents are reportedly receiving assistance from authorities and the building’s developer to secure temporary housing.
As a result of the fire, there are travel disruptions between Dubai Marina Station and Palm Jumeirah Station.
Dubai’s transport authority shared on social media: “This measure is to guarantee passenger safety and to support the firefighting teams addressing the situation.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
It comes as a huge fire broke out in March after a cargo ship collided with a US oil tanker in the North Sea.
36 crew members from both ships were taken safely to shore, but one sailor was reported missing.
After extensive search efforts for the individual, the sailor was presumed dead.
The container ship Solong was carrying the highly toxic toxic chemical sodium cyanide.
Footage captured the dramatic scene as both the oil tanker and the cargo ship were engulfed in flames, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Fuel began leaking into the water as the oil tanker sustained a ruptured cargo tank, raising fears of a nightmare environmental disaster.
