Torch Tower Dubai on fire for the second time in two years

The Tower Torch in Dubai has been scorched by massive fire. The residential building, one of the world’s tallest residential towers, experienced its second blaze in two years in the early hours of Friday. No one was reported to be injured.

Authorities said all residents inside the 1,105ft, 79-storey building were successfully evacuated as fire-fighters doused the flames. Hundreds of occupants were forced to flee the burning structure, which was declared under control at 3:30 a.m. local time.

“No injuries have been reported so far in the Torch Tower fire incident,” the Dubai Media Office tweeted. “Cooling operations are underway.”

According to one resident, who gave his name as George to Reuters, the fire alarm went off while they were sleeping. It took about 10 minutes for the residents from the 50^th floor to exit the building. “It was very bad. The fire was very strong at that time, about 1 a.m. Then it started calming down over the next two hours,” he said.

An Associated Press journalist near the scene said the fire was visible from outside on one side of the building. More than 40 floors were caught in the flames. Officials are now working to provide shelter for the victims. The cause of the fire is still unknown as of the time of writing.

This is not the first time the United Arab Emirates tower, which opened in 2011 and at that time the world’s tallest residential building, caught fire. In 2015, a grill left on one of the balconies reportedly started the fire that consumed about 101 apartments in the tower. An investigation that followed found that most of the damage was to the cladding, exterior panelling for decoration or insulation. The recent fire could revive questions about the safety of the materials used on the exterior of the Torch Tower, as well as other tall buildings across the nation.