Massive blaze engulfs JLT tower
Fire in Tamweel Tower causes residents to flee in panic during early hours of the morning
A massive fire engulfed Tamweel Tower in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers early on Sunday morning, causing residents to flee in panic as the fire department battled the blaze.
According to eyewitness reports, the fire started on the roof of the building (situated in Cluster U) and spread down to the flats below, reports in Emirates 24/7, a local news website, said.
“The blaze was not so visible on the outside,” a JLT resident told the website, “but the flats seem to be burning right now.”
Residents of the building were seen gathering in the street and inside their cars, while the flames spread down the building. Fire alarms were said to have woken up residents, not just in the building, but also in surrounding towers.
“I stay four buildings away from Tamweel tower, but the screeching alarm work me up. When I looked out, I saw the fire engines and police patrol cars and then saw the rooftop on fire. It was a terrifying sight,” a resident said.
Other eyewitnesses said that slabs of concrete fell off from the rooftop, leading to the spread of the fire to different floors. Some pieces landed on resident’s balconies, setting fire to those apartments.
“The falling pieces of concrete fell to the ground. A few of them fell on cars parked on the ground floor. The fire fighters were hard placed to put them out but the falling concrete endangers their lives as well,” witnesses told the website.
Entry to certain sections of Jumeirah Lakes Towers was blocked off by civil defence and police patrol cars, with traffic being redirected from around the affected areas.
Civil Defence sources have confirmed that there were no casualties from the fire.
