Breaking News on BBC shows the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in flames. Still a few hours away to New Year’s. Did the fireworks preparations go awry?
Okay, now it turns out it’s a residential building near the Burj Khalifa, not the Burj Khalifa itself. The camera angle sure makes it look like that building though.
Looks a massive fire though.
It’s a residential building named “The Torch”.
Can’t make this stuff up.
I think The Torch was last Feb, whereas today it’s The Address Downtown.
Oops. You’re right.
The Address is damn near right next to the Burj. The Torch a bit further away.
Gonna be a bitch to fight this fire.
I just heard someone on CNN say that he was near the hospital, and that large numbers of ambulances are headed that way and so far, not coming back.
That is NOT good news. 
I sure hope this isn’t terrorism.
Watching this on CNN right now. Sounds like the fire spread very quickly. I hope everyone had time to evacuate, but I haven’t heard anything about that yet.
UK news outlets are reporting that the authorities in Dubai are claiming 14 minor injuries and one heart attack. If that’s correct, that’s very impressive.
CNN reported that the cause was a curtain catching fire in a twentieth floor room. Bernard Kerik, the NYC fire commissioner is skeptical, as am I. He pointed out on CNN that the fire spread to twenty stories externally almost immediately. I wonder if there were fireworks or other effects on the building that caught fire. (It seems suspicious that this occurred just when the city was about to have a giant fireworks display.)
Still early and the Dubai authorities, who are (1) autocratic and (2) dependent on tourism, are not likely to give out bad news until they have too.
That said, I hope they were able to get it clear. This is prime tourist season there from Europe and Russia (would you trade in a cold winter for 90F and pristine beaches a few hours flight away?) so it could have been crowded.
To early to call terrorism, the UAE has been one of the safer places in the Mid-East, if they are now vunerable it raises the stakes even higher.
We shall see.
I’ve changed the title for you, so it doesn’t look like false info.
I later heard a woman, who also submitted a video that was running concurrently, that she had her back to that building, several blocks away, when she heard a big explosion and turned around to see a big section on fire. :eek:
BBC was saying the hotel was where some of the fireworks were going to be launched. (Of course, BBC also initially reported it was the Burj Khalifa on fire, so who knows.)
Much appreciated.