Dubai: Major Fire Guts JLT Tower, Residents Huddle on Streets in Despair

Dubai, Nov 18 (Emirates247): A massive fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning (around 1 am) on the roof of the Tamweel Tower (Cluster U) in Dubai's Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT).

"The blaze is not so much visible on the outside. But the flats seem to be burning right now," a JLT resident told Emirates 24|7.

Residents of the buildings could be seen huddled outside on the streets.

Some families who had managed to take their cars away from the building to a safe distance, were seen huddled inside their cars along with children, neighbours and elderly people, watching the fire slowly engulf the entire building.

Earlier, the fire alarms went up and woke the residents of the building and those in the neighbouring buildings.

Not only were the residents of the Tamweel tower evacuated, but the residents of the adjoining two Al Seef towers (of the same cluster) also evacuated as the blaze spread from top to the floors below.

The continuous ringing of fire alarms also woke up residents in the buildings of the nearby clusters.

An eyewitness told Emirates 24|7: "I stay four buildings away from Tamweel tower but the screeching alarm woke up me. 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 to behold."

Another eye witness told the website that huge slabs of concrete that fell off from the roof actually led to the spread the fire to different floors. Some pieces landed on the balconeys and spread the fire.

"The falling pieces of concrete fell on the ground below. A few of them fell on cars parked on the ground floor. The firefighters were hard placed to put them out but the falling concrete engandered their lives as well. I saw a couple of cars being gutted."

In the morning around 6am, the apartments facing the Golf course were ablaze, while the other sides of the building seemed to be in the dark.

A resident who was evacuated at night took to social network and said: "Around 7 and it [fire] still wasnt doused out completely, think 10 or11th onward upward is completely destroyed."

Residents continued to be literally out on the streets as the civic officials kept the concerned residents out of harm's way.

Entry to certain sections of the community is restricted as of Sunday morning and police patrol cars were seen at every entrance of JLT, manning the traffic going towards the Tamweel tower.

Update:

Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC), the master developer of JLT stated: DMCC would like to state that the emergency services have contained the fire in Tamweel Tower, Cluster U, Jumeirah Lakes Towers. The authorities confirmed that there have been no casualties as a result of last night’s incident.

All previously evacuated towers, not affected by the fire, have been reopened by the police. Shortly after the fire broke out, displaced residents were offered shelter in Almas Tower. DMCC has arranged hotel accommodation for all affected Tamweel Tower residents.

Residents of Tamweel tower will be provided shelter in Bonnington Hotel, according to community management staff and 38 families have been registered so far.

A resident of Al Seef 2 confirmed to this website that while smoke can still be seen coming out of the Tamweel Tower, residents of neighbouring towers are being allowed to return. “We entered home around 8am and everything is fine in our building. It was not easy to be out with little children but we are lucky that no damage was caused to our building. We saw smoke clouds are still coming out,” the tenant said.

Around 1am when the fire alarm went off, one of the residents of the tower, Grayhan, tells Emirates 24|7 that he saw in a window reflection the rooftop on fire.

“I fled in my pyjamas, with nothing. I have been standing on the street ever since. All my belongings – wallet, phones, car keys are left in house.

"I don’t know what will be left when I go back home."

"We watched the fire spread from the rooftop to the entire building in the last four hours," said Meenu Bhattacharya (name changed on request), a resident of Al Seef Tower in cluster U told Emirates 24|7.

She spent the better part of the night huddled inside a car, parked near the Marina Metro station, along with her husband, two daughters and their neighbours.

The family was bundled out of their home in their nightclothes and with only their mobile phones in hand.

Some residents had the presence of mind to pick up their car keys in the nick of time.

"We spent the night by listening to music on the radio. I am worried what we will do.

“Our friends who live a few buildings away have offered us breakfast and bed so we will go and stay there temporarily till the police and civic officials allow us to get back to our homes.”

Those living in JLT woke up to the horrific sight in their neighbourhood and are out on the streets offering their help to their friends and neighbours.

Some residents who were evacuated at night were not so lucky to carry their car keys, and were seen standing out in the open throughout the ordeal.

"The weather has turned chilly in Dubai this morning and I am worried that my kids will catch cold and fall ill.

“I will wait for the sun to come out and then ask my friends to come and take my family home till we know what is going to happen to the residents."

Meanwhile, school and office is definitely out for the residents of the Cluster U in Jumeirah Lake Towers.