Dubai's Record-Breaking 1,100ft Tower >Now Towering Inferno >Full of Expats
Dubai's Record-Breaking 1,100ft Torch Tower 'Full of Expats' Bursts into Horrific Flames in Chilling Echo of Grenfell UK disaster
Fire 'spread rapidly' through a skyscraper in Dubai's world-famous Marina in the early hours of this morning. Alarming footage showed flames climbing up the 79-storey Torch Tower, a residential building popular with expats in the United Arab Emirates tourism hotspot. Burning debris could be seen spiraling down to the ground below as firefighters desperately tackled the blaze. The same skyscraper was devastated by fire in 2015 and the building's flammable cladding, which was similar to that used in Grenfell Tower, was blamed for fuelling the flames. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804464067.jpg Footage shows flames climbing up the 79-storey Torch Tower, a residential building in Dubai Marina http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804639608.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804634929.jpg Burning debris can be seen spiraling down to the ground below as firefighters desperately attempt to tackle the blaze http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1801424758.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1801434866.jpg Flames could be seen shooting out from tthe sides of the building and glass and debris rained down from the skyscraper. Horrified Dubai residents and tourists shared photos and videos of the flaming debris falling from the building. Twitter user Ernesto Che Guevara said: 'If you are in there get out! It's spreading rapidly up the building.' Rob Shepherd tweeted: 'Another major fire just broken out at Torch Tower Dubai friends and relatives just escaping now.' Cara Spillane added: 'Terrifying to see Torch Tower, in the area I live in on fire now. Hope everyone gets out OK.' 'Fire further spreading, reaching the parked cars', wrote Sabine Abu Sabaa. The Dubai Media Office confirmed the civil defence was tackling the fire and no injuries had yet been reported. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1800721819.jpg Sabine Abu Sabaa tweeted a photo of the burning building and wrote: 'Fire further spreading, reaching the parked cars' http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1799066786.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1799074348.jpg The Dubai Media Office confirmed the Civil Defence was tackling the fire. Twitter user Ernesto Che Guevara said: 'If you are in there get out! It's spreading rapidly up the building' http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1800552135.jpg Dubai Police Commander in Chief and Dubai Civil Defence Director General at the scene of the Torch Tower fire http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804685550.jpg Horrified Dubai residents and tourists shared photos and videos of the flaming debris falling from the building A spokesman said: 'Firefighting squads from four civil defence stations have been deployed to bring the fire under control and ensure safety of residents. 'Dubai Police Commander in Chief & Dubai Civil Defence Director General are on site following measures to control the fire at the Torch Tower. 'No injuries have been reported so far. Dubai Police will be handling inquiries related to the fire and those affected by it through the emergency number.' The cause of the fire is not yet known but civil defence officials said they had 'successfully evacuated' the building and were investigating. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804528246.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1804535174.jpg The Torch Tower is the fifth tallest residential building in the world and stands at more than 330 metres (1,105 ft). Footage shows flames climbing up the 79-storey Torch Tower, a residential building in the United Arab Emirates tourism hotspot http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1803565570.jpg Emergency vehicles are pictured near the scene of the fire that broke out at Dubai's Torch Tower http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1806882454.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1807448424.jpg After a series of recent fires, Dubai is introducing a new code for skyscrapers this year, insisting that full-scale mockups of the facade are fire-tested rather than just the individual materials The Torch Tower is the fifth tallest residential building in the world and stands at more than 330 metres (1,105 ft). It became the tallest residential building in the world in 2011 but lost the record the following year to the neighbouring Princess Tower. In February 2015 hundreds of residents were evacuated from the same building after it was engulfed in flames in the early hours of the morning. The blaze ripped through multiple floors of the new building, in the expat-heavy Marina district of the city. Flames shot out from two sides of the building and glass and metal rained down from the skyscraper. After a series of recent fires, Dubai is introducing a new code for skyscrapers this year, insisting that full-scale mockups of the facade are fire-tested rather than just the individual materials. External sprinklers are also being encouraged for new buildings. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1800952728.jpg Torch Tower became the tallest residential building in the world in 2011 but lost the record the following year to the neighbouring Princess Tower http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1800574274.jpg The cause of the fire is not yet known but civil defence officials said they had 'successfully evacuated' the building. According to UAE civil defence teams, the fire spread uncontrollably partly due to flammable exterior cladding panels, similar to those used in Grenfell Tower. The combination of cheap combustible cladding and insulation has been blamed for the deadly spread of the June 14 fire in west London, which killed at least 80 people. Experts in the UK have previously voiced concerns that building regulations are unclear on the use of combustible cladding, which paved the way to their use by contractors. Unlike Grenfell, residents of the Torch were able to escape unharmed. Internal fire alarms and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out. In contrast, Grenfell residents reported not hearing an alarm. Firefighter also told people to remain in their flats, believing that they could contain the fire. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1801136859.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...1801146403.jpg The same skyscraper was devastated by fire in 2015 and the building's flammable cladding, which was similar to that used in Grenfell Tower, was blamed for fuelling the flames. Quote:
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