Dubai: Fire erupts at Torch tower, thousands evacuated

Dubai, Feb 21: A massive fire broke out in one of the tallest towers here today morning, media reports said.

The fire broke out in the Torch tower on the northeastern end of the densely populated Marina district. The fire began at the 50th floor of the 79-floor tower, the Gulf News daily reported.

The tower is one of the tallest residential building in the world. The tower reaches 336.1 m (1105 ft) in height with 79 floors above ground. No casualties are reported so far.

"This building has been plagued since opening with false fire alarms on an almost daily basis. I personally had threaten to call the civil defence on many occasions but was constantly fobbed off by the building management," Digby Taylor, head of operations at GN Broadcasting was quited as saying by the newspaper.

The roads in Marina north were closed and the debris from the fire cluttered on nearby areas. Multiple fire trucks and police vehicles were on the scene.

"It's like the titanic going down. The biggest danger is molten glass falling," a witness said.

Thousands of people have been evacuated and the fire is getting worse, according to witnesses. Chunks of masonry on fire are falling. The Marina area is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels.