It is unclear how the blaze began, but officials said it started on the exterior of the 20th floor, according to CNN. The incident occurs mere hours before the United Arab Emirates city was about to launch a New Years Eve fireworks display and engulfed at least 20 stories of the five-star hotel.
— Nisar Talabany (@NisarT) December 31, 2015
— _ (@sumaiyyahhh) December 31, 2015
The hotel has been evacuated, and a civil defense official told Al Arabiya that there are no injuries, and that New Year's celebrations will continue as planned.
"All of a sudden we saw this huge black plume of black smoke coming between the Khalifa Tower and the hotel," Michelle Duque, a tourist visiting Dubai, told the BBC. "The flames burst out really big and before we knew it the whole of the Address Hotel was covered in orange flames."
Burning debris fell as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
The 302 meter tall skyscraper serves as both a hotel and residential complex, with 200 rooms for rent, and another 600 apartments.
— Atieh S (@AtiehS) December 31, 2015
— Barry Whyte (@bwhyte11) December 31, 2015
This is the second massive skyscraper fire to strike Dubai this year. In February, the Marina Torch Tower, the fifth-largest residential building in the world, was also caught fire when a cigarette was left on a 51st floor balcony.
