2nd LD: Fire breaks out at Dubai Torch Tower

One of the world's tallest building in Dubai Marina district caught fire on Saturday and thousands of residents were evacuated from the high-rise Marina Torch and other buildings around.

Fire broke out at the 57th floor of the 79-story tower at 2:00 a.m. local Saturday (2200 GMT Friday), according to local media Gulf News.

Seven people suffered from mild smoke inhalation and have been treated on the scene, the UAE National Daily website quoted the Dubai Civil Defense as saying, adding that fire experts at Dubai Police will determine the cause of the blaze.

A medical response team said no fatalities being reported yet.

A witness said flames shot out from two sides of the building as glass and metal rained down from near the summit of the structure, which stands more than 336.1 meters (1,105 feet) tall.

The blowing wind with sandstorm cause massive problems. To avoid falling debris on site, roads within two km from the tower were all closed, and traffic in the area was diverted.

Residents of two other nearby buildings in the emirate's Marina district, home to thousands of expatriate professionals, were also evacuated, the witness said.

Upon the publishing of the news, Dubai authorities said the fire was extinguished.

Similar incidents happed on Tamweel Tower, a 34-story building, on Nov. 18, 2012 in the Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) district, near Dubai Marina.

The flames were caused by a cigarette butt, and hundreds of apartments were destroyed despite zero fatalities.

The gutted Tamweel Tower has not been renovated until now, as a legal dispute about the financing of the reconstruction erupted among the residents, the insurance firm and the owners of the building.

On May 14, 2008, a 47-story tower, Al-Salam Tecom, also caught fire on the 47th floor, causing no injuries.

Dubai, as the Gulf Arab trade and investment hub, has hundreds of high-rise towers which are mostly located in the districts of Dubai Marina, JLT and Downtown Dubai. Endit