Fire engulfs UAE residential towers

A huge blaze engulfs at least two residential towers in the northern UAE emirate of Ajman, local media and a witness say.

The fire erupts at a building in the Ajman One residential cluster of 12 towers and spread to at least one other tower, Gulf News daily reports on its website.

Ajman police say one pregnant woman is hospitalized after suffering breathing difficulties, while five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Residents are evacuated and police said the blaze was brought under control.

A resident told AFP that the fire, near the coastline, was fanned by a strong wind.

Fires have hit several high-rise buildings in the United Arab Emirates, most recently the Address Downtown hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve.

In November last year, a massive blaze engulfed three residential blocs in central Dubai and led to services on a metro line being suspended, although no one was hurt.

In February, a huge fire gutted one of the emirate’s tallest buildings, destroying luxury flats in the Torch tower and triggering an evacuation of nearby blocs in the Dubai Marina neighbourhood.

In 2012, a massive blaze gutted the 34-storey Tamweel Tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.

— AFP