Fire Hits One of World's Tallest Apartment Towers

One of the world's tallest residential towers—with the unfortunate name of "The Torch"—caught fire early today in Dubai's Marina district, sending hundreds of residents pouring into the streets as flames raged several stories high. No one was reported killed. The fire broke out about 2am in the 86-story tower on the northeast end of the densely populated waterfront district, which is packed with multi-story skyscrapers. High winds whipped through the area, fanning the flames, and debris from the fire cluttered nearby streets. Dubai's police chief, Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar al-Muzeina, said firefighters put out the blaze before it caused serious damage.

Several balconies were damaged, and a number of people who sustained minor injuries were treated by ambulance crews at the scene. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, but there are no indications of foul play, al-Muzeina said. Two residents 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. The Dubai blaze happened a day after a fire gutted a building on the outskirts of the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, killing 10 laborers who had been illegally living in a storage area inside. (More Dubai stories.)