Massive fire breaks out in Dubai residence

A massive blaze broke out on Monday in a five-storey residence in Dubai's old town district of Deira, Dubai daily Gulf News reported.

Firefighters have rushed to the scene, and the fire was still ongoing until 9pm (1700 GMT) local time, said the report.

The affected building called "Al Shamsi" is located on Dubai's Salah Al Deen Street near a police station and the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Parts of the hotel as well as four nearby buildings had to be evacuated for security reasons as hundreds of guest and residents were stranded outside.

No reports about injuries or fatalities were available immediately but Gulf News reported that fire fighters were struggling to break through rooms engulfed by flames where residents were trapped inside.

Traffic on most parts of Salah Al Deen Street came to a standstill as Dubai police sealed off the area. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority halted traffic of the Dubai metro between the stations "Union" and "Abu Hail."

The cause of the fire has not been clear, but reports said several "explosions" could be heard while fire raged through the building. Enditem