Sixteen people died and nine sustained injuries as a massive fire ripped through the fourth floor of a residential building in Dubai. A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson said the fire broke out in Al Ras on Saturday afternoon.The Dubai Civil Defence Operations Room was first notified about the fire at 12.35pm. A team reached the spot within six minutes and began both evacuation and firefighting operations.Teams from the Port Saeed and Hamriyah fire stations provided backup to the operations. The fire was brought under control at 2.42pm, after which the cooling operations were started.
Expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the spokesperson said that urgent medical aid was provided to the injured even as firefighters worked to put out the blaze. Preliminary investigations showed that lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire, the spokesperson added. “Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed a report on the causes of the accident.” Eyewitnesses said they saw flames billowing out of the building. Videos shared on social media show thick black smoke and flames leaping out of an apartment window as multiple fire engines and first responders reach the area in record time.