george Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 86-story tower in Dubai in flames, officials say no one hurtDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — One of the world's tallest residential towers caught fire early Saturday in Dubai's Marina district, sending bright yellow flames several stories high, but there were no reports of casualties, civil defense officials said.The fire broke out at about 2 a.m. in the 86-story Torch tower on the northeast end of the densely populated district, which is packed with multi-story skyscrapers. High winds whipped through the area and debris from the fire cluttered nearby streets after the blaze appeared to be extinguished.The civil defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were no reports of deaths or injuries.The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.The Marina area is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels, many of them built over the past decade. The apartments are popular with Dubai's large number of expatriate professionals.Police blocked off areas around the Torch, which still had power. Lights were on in many of the apartments inside and multiple fire trucks and police vehicles were on the scene.Residents of at least one neighboring tower were told to evacuate as a precaution because of strong winds, but they were later allowed back inside.Two residents of the Torch said they were told the fire started around the 52nd floor. Flaming material falling from the initial fire then set a lower part of the building ablaze, they said.One of the residents, Steve Short, 53, of Liverpool, England, praised the work of firefighters who arrived quickly. He said fire alarms alerted residents to the blaze and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out.Resident R.J. Morlock, 33, of Houston, shot video on his phone that showed bright yellow flames reaching what appeared to be several stories on two separate parts of the building. He said residents were nervous coming out but fire crews were able to bring the situation under control."I was really surprised they got it under control pretty quickly," he said. "It looked like it was going to go up."As daylight broke, residents waiting across the street to be allowed back home were able to see the extent of the blaze: External cladding on the corner of more than two dozen stories from roughly the 50th floor to the top were mangled and charred black.Cleanup crews dressed in orange uniforms swept up pieces of shattered glass and other debris covering the street outside the building.The Torch opened in 2011 and is one of the world's tallest residential towers, according to developer Select Group.-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canopus1969 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Torch by name, torch by nature 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I am not wishing to derail this topic, but does anyone know where Mr. Thaksin lives? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publicus Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Don't look now but he's a safe distance from it..... UAE Thaksin compound Then stay tuned for the next one, in which the reds and yellows are full plumage at a Hollywood Boulevard LA banquet for The Man....just jump ahead to about the 4-minute mark for the Grand Arrival....the LA police at the scene are a laff riot.... Edited February 21, 2015 by Publicus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publicus Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Actually let's try the UAE Thaksin Compound yet again and hope the right video comes through this time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Torch by name, torch by nature To be renamed the Flaming Torch... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RT555 Posted February 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2015 I stay in the same building, lower floors. Apparently started on 45ish floor. 12 locals and 35 hookers drinking and partying. Then some brilliant alcohol drinking muslim decided to set off some fireworks.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumply Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I'm in the Greens RT555 and was evacuated by a balcony fire last March on floor below. Pretty scary, although it was under control within one hour. A fag started it and soon afterwards each tenant had to sign a form disclosing any smokers in the apartments. Next thing will be hi-rises becoming no smoking zones. Actually not such a bad thing. Saw a couple of BBC interviews re the Torch. a) lady quoted as saying that she grabbed her phones before leaving the building!! an Asian couple heard the fire alarm at 3am and paid no attention thinking it was a false alarm, until somebody hammered on their door and told them to get out <deleted>! How utterly weird and misplaced are people's priorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 10 foreign workers perish in Abu Dhabi fireABU DHABI (AFP) - Ten foreign workers have died in a fire that hit a tyre shop in Abu Dhabi, apparently trapping the labourers in a warehouse used illegally for accommodation, local media said Saturday.Eight others were injured in the blaze that gutted the two-storey building in the Mussaffah district on Friday, Gulf News daily reported, saying that the makeshift hostel above the shop was originally a storage area.Police said the victims were of different nationalities and that the owner of the building was arrested, the paper said.An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway."The injured were given first aid by medics and then taken to hospital while police and firefighters began the grizzly task of recovering the 10 bodies," Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported.Fires at warehouses in industrial zones are common in the United Arab Emirates and authorities across the Gulf nation continue to crack down on illegal accommodation of foreign labourers.The UAE is home to millions of foreign workers, mostly from South Asian countries. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/10-foreign-workers-perish-in-Abu-Dhabi-fire-30254601.html -- The Nation 2015-02-21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 10 foreign workers perish in Abu Dhabi fire ABU DHABI (AFP) - Ten foreign workers have died in a fire that hit a tyre shop in Abu Dhabi, apparently trapping the labourers in a warehouse used illegally for accommodation, local media said Saturday. Eight others were injured in the blaze that gutted the two-storey building in the Mussaffah district on Friday, Gulf News daily reported, saying that the makeshift hostel above the shop was originally a storage area. Police said the victims were of different nationalities and that the owner of the building was arrested, the paper said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. "The injured were given first aid by medics and then taken to hospital while police and firefighters began the grizzly task of recovering the 10 bodies," Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported. Fires at warehouses in industrial zones are common in the United Arab Emirates and authorities across the Gulf nation continue to crack down on illegal accommodation of foreign labourers. The UAE is home to millions of foreign workers, mostly from South Asian countries. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/10-foreign-workers-perish-in-Abu-Dhabi-fire-30254601.html -- The Nation 2015-02-21 RIP. This is typical housing arraignment threw out all of the middle east for what is refried to as TCN's for housing. The cost of a TCN's life is camel shyt to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 What building material is this building constructed with? Plywood?? As an ex fire fighter, I do not see how a building of this magnitude can be constructed of a material flammable enough that falling debris could set lower levels ablaze! Something is not right here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 10 foreign workers perish in Abu Dhabi fire ABU DHABI (AFP) - Ten foreign workers have died in a fire that hit a tyre shop in Abu Dhabi, apparently trapping the labourers in a warehouse used illegally for accommodation, local media said Saturday. Eight others were injured in the blaze that gutted the two-storey building in the Mussaffah district on Friday, Gulf News daily reported, saying that the makeshift hostel above the shop was originally a storage area. Police said the victims were of different nationalities and that the owner of the building was arrested, the paper said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. "The injured were given first aid by medics and then taken to hospital while police and firefighters began the grizzly task of recovering the 10 bodies," Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported. Fires at warehouses in industrial zones are common in the United Arab Emirates and authorities across the Gulf nation continue to crack down on illegal accommodation of foreign labourers. The UAE is home to millions of foreign workers, mostly from South Asian countries. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/10-foreign-workers-perish-in-Abu-Dhabi-fire-30254601.html -- The Nation 2015-02-21 RIP. This is typical housing arraignment threw out all of the middle east for what is refried to as TCN's for housing. The cost of a TCN's life is camel shyt to them. You got that right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 What building material is this building constructed with? Plywood?? As an ex fire fighter, I do not see how a building of this magnitude can be constructed of a material flammable enough that falling debris could set lower levels ablaze! Something is not right here. This morning CNN was claiming it was molten glass falling from the building. As an ex-fire fighter, is that a possibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhnomKhnom Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 One of Thaksin's cribs ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 What building material is this building constructed with? Plywood?? As an ex fire fighter, I do not see how a building of this magnitude can be constructed of a material flammable enough that falling debris could set lower levels ablaze! Something is not right here. This morning CNN was claiming it was molten glass falling from the building. As an ex-fire fighter, is that a possibility? Molten glass can easily ignite a flammable surface it was in contact with. The high rise structures I am familiar with have a steel frame and are surfaced with concrete, stone or glass. These are all non flammable materials 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lust Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Don't look now but he's a safe distance from it..... UAE Thaksin compound Then stay tuned for the next one, in which the reds and yellows are full plumage at a Hollywood Boulevard LA banquet for The Man....just jump ahead to about the 4-minute mark for the Grand Arrival....the LA police at the scene are a laff riot.... So you must be Thai? Why exactly do you dislike Thaksin? And why are you posting videos of his home????? This is a story about a condo fire, not red shirts in LA, <deleted>... Will every story from Dubai be about Thaksin. Change the f'in record. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I am afraid I started this little mess with Thaksin. I just don't know anyone else that lives in Dubai and asked if that was where he lived. We are now off and running in a very off-topic direction. So, Mr. Thaksin doesn't live there. Now can we get back to the topic of this fire? It reminded me of the movie "Inferno". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chao Lao Beach Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I would have that sprinkler systems would be required in a building this size, maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Has the Caliphate opened an embassy there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baerboxer Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 What building material is this building constructed with? Plywood?? As an ex fire fighter, I do not see how a building of this magnitude can be constructed of a material flammable enough that falling debris could set lower levels ablaze! Something is not right here. Abu Dhabi is an island. All the migrant laborers live in labor camps - cheap housing, cheap shops, restaurants etc. These are located on the mainland, still part of the Abu Dhabi emirate but not on the island. Lots of the recent development has been on the mainland for obvious reasons. Some really nice cities springing up. The laborers, cleaners, security guards etc for all these new cities, malls, offices and residences have to live somewhere - Mussafah. Driving through there is more like driving through a Pakistani town than UAE. So don't expect any building regulations to be adhered to and everything will be cheap, use what they can get hold of. When you compare that place to the opulence of downtown Abu Dhabi the contrast is shocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAG Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Don't look now but he's a safe distance from it..... UAE Thaksin compound Then stay tuned for the next one, in which the reds and yellows are full plumage at a Hollywood Boulevard LA banquet for The Man....just jump ahead to about the 4-minute mark for the Grand Arrival....the LA police at the scene are a laff riot.... Who's the rather hot bird in white with him - she looks rather familiar! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publicus Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Don't look now but he's a safe distance from it..... UAE Thaksin compound Then stay tuned for the next one, in which the reds and yellows are full plumage at a Hollywood Boulevard LA banquet for The Man....just jump ahead to about the 4-minute mark for the Grand Arrival....the LA police at the scene are a laff riot.... So you must be Thai? Why exactly do you dislike Thaksin? And why are you posting videos of his home????? This is a story about a condo fire, not red shirts in LA, <deleted>... Will every story from Dubai be about Thaksin. Change the f'in record. For the record I support Thaksin 100% in what he's been trying to do in the former LOS. I got suspended 40 daze and 40 nights from the Thai Newsclips Forum for being too aggressive about the, ahem, new government that, ahem, assumed office May 24th. As to the inferno, I guess it's some kind of karma payback to the oil shieks and the jet set of travellers to Dubai that they too should have to suffer the consequences of shoddy construction, inept and corrupt government, same as the always unfortunate workers in their low level digs that catch fire without any international or global news about it. Although death and destruction happen somewhere every day, they are not wished upon anyone. The morning of Dec 26, 2004 my Thai business partner and I were in a hotel in Had Yai travelling to Phuket when he and I awoke due to an earthquake that sent everyone inside scurrying out onto the street. We continued on to Phuket to help out there which was worthwhile even if our efforts were a tiny drop in the bucket. The Chinese want to build a tower the size and height of a level 5 tornado for people to live in so imagine that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publicus Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Don't look now but he's a safe distance from it..... UAE Thaksin compound Then stay tuned for the next one, in which the reds and yellows are full plumage at a Hollywood Boulevard LA banquet for The Man....just jump ahead to about the 4-minute mark for the Grand Arrival....the LA police at the scene are a laff riot.... Who's the rather hot bird in white with him - she looks rather familiar! She looks more than rather hot.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toenail Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The Thais who are not fans of Thaksin ironically play in the hands of this mafia family by mentioning them every moment they have a chance or follow video clips or You-tube clips. Do the opposite, don't spend one second following them as if they are some rock star. They are "has beens"- who cares where they live, what they drive, eat or the number of BM's Thaksin has in one day. Spend your energy on something more constructive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Please get back on topic, further posts about Thaksin will be removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirat69 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script> What building material is this building constructed with? Plywood?? As an ex fire fighter, I do not see how a building of this magnitude can be constructed of a material flammable enough that falling debris could set lower levels ablaze! Something is not right here. Maybe the fireworks were attached to a boomerang! Alternatively, they were the Pharque Brand 'cos there sure was a lot of boom boom!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonburiram Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 The delights of condo living... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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