Massive Fire Engulfs Luxury Hotel in Downtown Dubai (UPDATED)

By Elizabeth PrezaDec 31st, 2015, 1:17 pm
 

An enormous fire has engulfed the Address Hotel in downtown Dubai, officials confirmed within the last hour.

The five-star luxury hotel houses over 200 rooms and 600 apartments. No injuries have been reported. It’s not immediately clear what started the fire, but authorities are on site investigating the incident.

In February, a fire spread through the Marina Torch, a massive residential skyscraper in Dubai. The fire broke out overnight and a sandstorm rendered firefighters’ efforts to douse the flames difficult.

UPDATE–1:22 p.m. ET: CNN showed new footage of the fire during its initial broadcast of the events in Dubai.

UPDATE–1:26 p.m. ET: The Associated Press posted raw footage of fire in Dubai.

UPDATE–1:29 p.m. ET: Dubai resident Maha Abouelnebin told CNN that, while she and her family were having dinner in the hotel at 9:30 p.m. local time, she saw “what appeared to be a low flame and thought maybe someone was cooking something.” When she realized it was a much larger fire, they “decided we needed to get out of there.”

Meanwhile, CNN’s Jim Sciutto reports that the government claims the fire started on the 20th floor of the building.

UPDATE–1:34 p.m. ET: The Dubai Media Office confirmed that the fire began on the 20th floor, though “outside” the building.

UPDATE–1:41 p.m. ET: Now the Dubai Media Office is claiming that the fire’s spread has largely been prevented by the building’s fire extinguisher system.

UPDATE–1:44 p.m. ET: Despite the blaze, Dubai Media Office says the city’s New Year’s celebrations will continue as planned.

UPDATE–1:47 p.m. ET: Reuters, via VICE, reports that a “civil defense official appeared on Al Arabiya TV and said that no injuries had resulted from the fire so far.” Said official also confirmed that celebrations in the city would continue as planned.

UPDATE–1:54 p.m. ET: More and more amateur footage of the fire is popping up online from people on the ground and in other buildings in Dubai.

As well as more local and international news crews.

UPDATE–3:16 p.m. ET: Despite the ongoing fire, Dubai put on its pre-planned fireworks show for New Year’s Eve.

We will update this post as more information becomes available.

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