Dubai:
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
Dubai's police chief said all the hotel's residents had been evacuated from the scene of the blaze, which had still not been extinguished some two hours after it broke out.
"Until the fire is put out, we will not have information on what caused it," he added.
Witness Raphael Slama told AFP the fire started at around 9:30 pm (1730 GMT) and rapidly spread upwards across dozens of floors.
"Four firefighting teams have been deployed" to fight the blaze, it added.
The emirate had promised a "spectacular" fireworks display that was set to kick-off at midnight from the Burj Khalifa before spreading to various locations across the city.
"New Year's celebrations will proceed according to schedule," Mona al-Marri was quoted by Al-Arabiya as saying, before confirming on her Twitter account.
A huge fire ripped through a luxury Dubai hotel Thursday night as people gathered to watch New Year's Eve celebrations, injuring at least 16 people, authorities said.
Dubai's government media office tweeted that a "fire has been reported in the Address Downtown hotel. Authorities are currently on-site to address the incident swiftly and safely".
Video of the fire raging, slightly earlier this evening #Dubai#AddressFirepic.twitter.com/Mctbi8hBIk
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) December 31, 2015The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
Dubai's police chief said all the hotel's residents had been evacuated from the scene of the blaze, which had still not been extinguished some two hours after it broke out.
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People run away as a fire engulfs the nearby The Address Hotel (not pictured) in downtown Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on December 31, 2015. (Reuters photo)
"Until the fire is put out, we will not have information on what caused it," he added.
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Witness Raphael Slama told AFP the fire started at around 9:30 pm (1730 GMT) and rapidly spread upwards across dozens of floors.
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"Four firefighting teams have been deployed" to fight the blaze, it added.
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The emirate had promised a "spectacular" fireworks display that was set to kick-off at midnight from the Burj Khalifa before spreading to various locations across the city.
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"New Year's celebrations will proceed according to schedule," Mona al-Marri was quoted by Al-Arabiya as saying, before confirming on her Twitter account.
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