DUBAI: However, some residents said they had been told by staff that the building's fire alarms did not immediately sound and that the reception at The Torch was alerted to the fire by staff in an adjacent building.
"They (the Torch receptionists) got a call from Princess Tower telling them the building was on fire. The alarms were not operating automatically," Archibald Jurdi, who lives on the 76th floor, told Reuters.
Reuters could not independently verify the status of the fire alarms. The building manager could not be reached for comment.
Residents said the fire had been fanned by high winds, dislodging chunks of metal and raining glass down on the area below the building, including onto a nearby road more than 100 metres (330 feet) away.
Traffic in the area was diverted and residents of two other nearby buildings in the emirate's Marina district, home to thousands of expatriate professionals, were also evacuated, the witness said.
Many of those standing outside the building were dressed in pajamas, with others in evening dress as they returned from the city's many bars and restaurants on a weekend.
One woman, who did not give her name, stood on the street crying, saying she had rushed back fearing for her belongings after a friend contacted her about the fire. Her fear turned to relief when she saw the lower floors where she lived were not affected.
Residents of neighbouring towers were returning to their homes at approximately 04.30 local time, but residents of The Torch were told they would not be allowed back into the building until the fire officials gave approval later on Saturday. Residents of upper floors that were most affected were told it would be days before they could return.
Dubai civil defence officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the cause of the fire remained unclear.
Hundreds of people in Dubai were evacuated from one of the world's tallest residential buildings on Saturday when fire swept through The Torch, a 79-story skyscraper, residents said.
A witness said flames shot out from two sides of the building as glass and metal rained down from near the summit of the structure, which stands more than 330 metres (1,082 feet) tall.
Medics said there were no casualties. At least a dozen fire trucks were able to extinguish the blaze several hours after the fire alarm went off around 2 a.m. local time.
"They (the Torch receptionists) got a call from Princess Tower telling them the building was on fire. The alarms were not operating automatically," Archibald Jurdi, who lives on the 76th floor, told Reuters.
Advertisement
Residents said the fire had been fanned by high winds, dislodging chunks of metal and raining glass down on the area below the building, including onto a nearby road more than 100 metres (330 feet) away.
Advertisement
Many of those standing outside the building were dressed in pajamas, with others in evening dress as they returned from the city's many bars and restaurants on a weekend.
Advertisement
Residents of neighbouring towers were returning to their homes at approximately 04.30 local time, but residents of The Torch were told they would not be allowed back into the building until the fire officials gave approval later on Saturday. Residents of upper floors that were most affected were told it would be days before they could return.
Advertisement
© Thomson Reuters 2015
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Plane Reports Engine Problem After Take Off From Nepal, Then Heads To Dubai Rs 10 Lakh Relief Each For Families Of 2 Tamil Nadu Men Killed In Dubai Fire Indian Couple Killed In Dubai Fire Was Preparing Iftar For Neighbours Kolkata Rape-Murder: Fractures, 150 mg Semen, Other Claims Denied By Cops CBI Team At Kolkata Hospital For Digital Mapping Of Crime Scene Doctors Halt OPD Services Amid Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Rape Horror Let's Work Unitedly To Confront Pressing Challenges: PM To Global South Rs 700 Crore, 18,000 Women Workers: Foxconn's Tamil Nadu Housing Unit Global South Facing Challenges Of Food, Energy Security: PM Modi Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.