The Address Hotel in Dubai gutted by fire (photos)

The Address Downtown Dubai hotel near the worlds tallest building ( Burj Khalifa) was gutted by fire this evening. At least 16 people were injured after a huge blaze broke out from the 20th floor of the hotel. This happened hours before New Year’s Eve fireworks was supposed to start at the nearby Burj Khalifa. Guests at the hotel have been evacuated and fortunately no life was lost even though the fire spread very quickly.


A witness said it went from just a small fire at the foot of the building, shot up to the middle and the top of the building in five minutes. That didn't stop the fire work celebration nearby though.
A massive fireworks display kicked off for New Year’s at the world’s tallest tower in Dubai, while plumes of smoke billowed in the air from a fire raging at a nearby luxury tower.
Tens of thousands of people whistled and cheered at the show taking place at the Burj Khalifa skyscraper as teams of firefighters were working to put out the blaze that had engulfed a 63-story luxury hotel and residential building. Just minutes before the fireworks began, large explosions could be heard from inside the burning building, which was cloaked in thick black smoke. It was not clear what caused the blasts.
At least 14 people were slightly injured and one person suffered a heart attack from the smoke and over-crowding during evacuation late Thursday, according to Dubai Media Office. The statement said another person was moderately injured, without elaborating further. No children were among those injured, it said.
Around 1 million people had been expected to gather around the Burj Khalifa to watch the fireworks. Dubai’s economy depends heavily on tourism, and New Year’s is one of the busiest seasons, drawing people from around the world to watch the fireworks that the emirate puts on at the world’s tallest tower, as well as the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab and over a man-made palm-shaped island.
Organizers had installed 400,000 LED lights on the Burj Khalifa and used some 1.6 tons of fireworks for the seven-minute extravaganza. Two years ago on New Year’s, Dubai broke the world record for the largest fireworks display.