Large fire hits high-rise development near Dubai's largest shopping mall

Smoke rises from a fire at a construction site next to Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A large fire broke out early Sunday at a construction site near Dubais largest shopping mall, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the heart of the city. (Anthea Ayache via AP)

Smoke rises from a fire at a construction site near Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A large fire broke out early Sunday at a construction site near Dubais largest shopping mall, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the heart of the city. (AP Photo/Maggie Hyde)

Firefighters battle a fire at the under-construction Fountain Views tower next to Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A large fire broke out early Sunday at the construction site near Dubais largest shopping mall, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the heart of the city. (Anthea Ayache via AP)

Smoke rises from a fire at a construction site near Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A large fire broke out early Sunday at a construction site near Dubais largest shopping mall, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the heart of the city. (AP Photo/Maggie Hyde)

Jon Gambrell

April 2 2017 7:29 AM

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• Large fire hits high-rise development near Dubai's largest shopping mall

  Independent.ie

  A large fire has broken out at a high-rise complex under construction near Dubai's largest shopping mall, sending thick grey smoke billowing over the heart of the city.

  http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/large-fire-hits-highrise-development-near-dubais-largest-shopping-mall-35586132.html

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A large fire has broken out at a high-rise complex under construction near Dubai's largest shopping mall, sending thick grey smoke billowing over the heart of the city.

The site is next to the Dubai Mall and near the 63-storey The Address Downtown Dubai tower, which was heavily damaged in a fire on New Year's Eve 2015.

Smoke rises from a fire at a construction site next to Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 2, 2017. A large fire broke out early Sunday at a construction site near Dubais largest shopping mall, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the heart of the city. (Anthea Ayache via AP)

Dubai's government media office said the fire broke out at the Fountain Views towers, and firefighters have brought it under control.

"Cooling operations are under way and ambulance units are on site," the media office posted on its Twitter account. It said there were no injuries reported.

The high-rise complex is being built by large Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties, which raised the mall and the Address hotel struck in the 2015 blaze.

Large numbers of firefighters were on the scene and police cordoned off nearby roads.

"It was plumes and plumes of black smoke. It looks like it was quite low down," said witness Anthea Ayache.

She said firefighters responded quickly, and many construction workers were nearby watching from a safe distance.

"There's so many fire brigades, so they seem to have gotten on top of it very quickly," she said.

Niall McLoughlin, a spokesman for Dubai developer DAMAC, said the fire happened next to the DAMAC Maison luxury hotel.

Dramatic fires have hit skyscrapers in Dubai and other fast-growing cities in the United Arab Emirates in recent years. Building and safety experts have cited a popular type of cladding covering the buildings that can be highly flammable.

Press Association