Dubai’s Address Hotel smoulders after New Year’s Eve blaze

[rooster59]

Dubai’s Address Hotel smoulders after New Year’s Eve blaze

By Keith Walker



Dubai’s luxury Address Hotel was still smoldering on Friday morning (January 1). Flames spread up one side of the building as people gathered nearby for a New Year’s Eve fireworks display at the world’s tallest building a few hundred meters away.

Investigators are working to find the cause of the blaze.

Dubai police said that the building was evacuated and only 14 people were lightly injured, but a medic at the scene said more than 60 people were treated for mild smoke inhalation and problems caused by crowding as they fled the site.

Witnesses described seeing flaming debris wafting down from The Address as occupants left, some running.

The Dubai media office said it had started on the twentieth floor of the luxury hotel and residential tower.

Euronews Dubai correspondent Rita Del Prete reported: “The smoke and the smell of burning have spread for kilometers, in an area crowded with people gathering to watch the midnight fireworks organized, as each year-end, from the nearby Burj Khalifa.”

As midnight struck and the Address Hotel continued to burn, crowds cheered as the one of the world’s largest displays went ahead, as planned, around the Burj Khalifa.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-01

[lee b]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

[HenryB]

No this is being done by Terrorist Who are upset with Foreigners who are investing are controlling the Country.

Example Michael Bloomberg check the internet Michael Rubens Bloomberg KBE (born February 14, 1942) is an American business magnate, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 108th Mayor of New York City, holding office for three consecutive terms beginning with his first election in 2001. With a net worth of $41 billion, he is the 7th richest person in the United States^[2] and the 13th wealthiest in the world.^[2

[khun custard]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

I agree with the comment on the labor but the construction standards?????? you are dealing with one of the world's most respected developers here (same company that built the Burj Kalifa.

Having worked for EMAAR a few years ago; I am 100% sure that every Occ Health and Safety issue, Fire Drill and precaution was in place.

No fatalities have been reported on international news chalnnels which further supports the above opinion

[jaywalker]

I'm sure things have come a long way in 18 years, especially with pretty much 95% of Dubai being built in that time frame, and the UAE locals are not shy at all about bringing in Western Project Management Consultants like Fluor and Siemens..........HOWEVER...

I recall being in a bar on the 20th floor of a hotel in Abu Dhabi in 1998. The single elevator could hold maybe 5 people max, and the stairwell was barely large enough for two people to pass each other.

I only visited the place a couple times, as I was terrified of what would happen if a fire broke out. Glad to hear there were no fatalities here.

[thaibeachlovers]

All built with exploited labour that was treated disgustingly.

Karma strikes again .

I have been there.

[thaibeachlovers]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

I agree with the comment on the labor but the construction standards?????? you are dealing with one of the world's most respected developers here (same company that built the Burj Kalifa.

Having worked for EMAAR a few years ago; I am 100% sure that every Occ Health and Safety issue, Fire Drill and precaution was in place.

No fatalities have been reported on international news chalnnels which further supports the above opinion

World's most respected developers!

Pity they didn't do something about the exploitation of the workers- I guess they are just money grubbers that care only about the paycheque. Same as most western companies now.

[JohnDodd]

Burnt for hours, but didn't collapse into a pile of dust.

[dabhand]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

I agree with the comment on the labor but the construction standards?????? you are dealing with one of the world's most respected developers here (same company that built the Burj Kalifa.

Having worked for EMAAR a few years ago; I am 100% sure that every Occ Health and Safety issue, Fire Drill and precaution was in place.

No fatalities have been reported on international news chalnnels which further supports the above opinion

It would appear that the UAE Fire and Safety code was hopelessly inadequate to the extent that flammable cladding was allowed to be used in the construction of hundreds of high-rise buildings in the UAE.

This was finally recognised in 2013 when the F&S code was updated to require that external cladding be fire resistant. Unfortunately this only applies to new buildings. Hence the Dubai Marina Torch building (unfortunate name!) fire on February 2015 and this recent event at The Address. Needless to say, who would pick up the cost of any retrofit is the issue on such action taking place.

So, I would guess that similar fires will likely happen in the future. That there have been no fatalities is, to my mind, extremely fortunate and may not be the case in future incidents of this nature.

Were all building safety standards in place?

They clearly were not, as this article will testify:

http://www.gulfbusiness.com/articles/insights/dubai-marina-torch-fire-what-next-who-pays/

[cream]

This got more world coverage than their Fireworks Show.

[ttthailand]

I would guess someone playing with sparklers and set something on fire. Building standards are ok but the labor is 3rd world and the skill level is low. Supervisors however are normally decent but over worked. Health and safety, inspections, training etc all happen but not as in the U.S. Or England.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[thaibeachlovers]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

I agree with the comment on the labor but the construction standards?????? you are dealing with one of the world's most respected developers here (same company that built the Burj Kalifa.

Having worked for EMAAR a few years ago; I am 100% sure that every Occ Health and Safety issue, Fire Drill and precaution was in place.

No fatalities have been reported on international news chalnnels which further supports the above opinion

It would appear that the UAE Fire and Safety code was hopelessly inadequate to the extent that flammable cladding was allowed to be used in the construction of hundreds of high-rise buildings in the UAE.

This was finally recognised in 2013 when the F&S code was updated to require that external cladding be fire resistant. Unfortunately this only applies to new buildings. Hence the Dubai Marina Torch building (unfortunate name!) fire on February 2015 and this recent event at The Address. Needless to say, who would pick up the cost of any retrofit is the issue on such action taking place.

So, I would guess that similar fires will likely happen in the future. That there have been no fatalities is, to my mind, extremely fortunate and may not be the case in future incidents of this nature.

Were all building safety standards in place?

They clearly were not, as this article will testify:

http://www.gulfbusiness.com/articles/insights/dubai-marina-torch-fire-what-next-who-pays/

So much for the "world's most respected developers". Just because the standards were deficient didn't mean that they had to agree to use substandard materials. Riyadh is full of substandard buildings constructed by western companies exploiting the Saudis. No ethics when it comes to making money, obviously.

[wabothai]

This is not the first time this thing has happened in Dubai, and sadly it will not be the last. Luxury hotels are built with the cheapest labour in the world and the standards are none.

I agree with the comment on the labor but the construction standards?????? you are dealing with one of the world's most respected developers here (same company that built the Burj Kalifa.

Having worked for EMAAR a few years ago; I am 100% sure that every Occ Health and Safety issue, Fire Drill and precaution was in place.

No fatalities have been reported on international news chalnnels which further supports the above opinion

And the hotel did NOT collapse in its own footprints.

[Wilsonandson]

As far as I can see from the footage of the fire, it was only one side of the building that was on fire so due to this maybe that's why it didn't collaspe

Edited January 2, 2016 by Wilsonandson