Fire engulfs high-rise in United Arab Emirates

A fire tore through a high-rise residential building in the United Arab Emirates early Tuesday before being brought under control, according to videos circulating online.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from the blaze in Ajman, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, which also includes the futuristic cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The footage showed a corner of the building engulfed in flames reaching from the ground level to the top, with debris falling to the street below.


Ajman News, a local media outlet, later reported that the fire had been brought under control. Footage on its Instagram showed the blackened exterior of the building and firefighters on the street below.

There was no immediate comment from UAE officials.

The UAE has seen a number of similar fires in recent years that have been linked to flammable cladding on many of the country's ubiquitous high-rises.

On New Year's Eve in 2015, a blaze raced through an upscale hotel and residential complex near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest skyscraper. Some 15 people were injured in the fire and the evacuation. Dubai police ended up blaming exposed wiring for the blaze.

Regulations imposed after that fire call for all such cladding to be replaced with flame-resistant material.