On Thursday night, a luxury hotel in Dubai burst into flames, igniting at least 20 stories of the 63-story building. The five-star Address Downtown Dubai is right next to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
People were starting to gather near the 160-story building, one of the most recognizable and renowned in the United Arab Emirates, for a giant fireworks display. Despite the scary scene, the New Year’s festivities will reportedly continue as planned. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 1.6 tons of fireworks will be used during the event.
It’s not clear what caused the fire, which is taking place on an especially windy night, but it reportedly began on the 20th floor. The hotel was evacuated; no casualties have been reported yet. Earlier this year, a massive fire engulfed the Marina Torch in Dubai, a 79-story residential building.
