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Lucky escape after Escape Tower blaze

Residents of a high-rise building on Dubai’s Shaikh Zayed Road survived a fire-scare on Monday afternoon after fire-fighters doused flames on the 29th floor of the Escape Tower. Luckily, the quick response from civil defence personnel at Al Manara Centre ensured no casualties followed.

The fire started at around 11.45am inside Flat 2901 of Escape Tower, a 40-floor residential tower in Dubai’s Business Bay Area. According to people living on the same floor, residents inside the flat where the fire started called out for help, which triggered a mass evacuation of the building. People walked down the stairs, before fire-fighting authorities reached the scene and contained the fire. Eyewitnesses reported seeing plumes of thick black smoke on the 29^th floor, which delayed the descent.

“There have been no casualties and the fire was contained before it could spread to other flats. Only one elevator has been kept operational as a precautionary measure,” said an official from the Dubai Civil Defence, who was on site.

The fire was allegedly caused by a cigarette butt tossed onto a bed stored on the flat’s balcony. A worker who went inside the house after the fire started confirmed to Khaleej Times that the bed was dragged inside the house in a failed attempt to reduce the flames.

“I myself used more than eight fire extinguishers trying to douse the flames but it was not coming under control,” said the worker.

Residents in the building voiced major concerns over the rising number of bachelors in the building, as the flat in question was also believed to have been used as a shared accommodation.

With 173 flats inside the building, residents inside the Escape Tower indeed had a lucky escape with no damage to properties and belongings in other flats.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com