FIRE UNGULFS HOTEL IN DUBAI AHEAD OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Investigators in Dubai are trying to work out what caused a massive fire at a downtown skyscraper just hours before New Year's celebrations.
The huge blaze started around 17:30 GMT on Thursday and quickly shot up the 63-storey Address Hotel in the heart of the Gulf metropolis, covering nearly the entire structure and sending hundreds of people fleeing for safety.

A number of explosions were heard in and around the building, which is located near the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper at 828 metres and epicentre of a spectacular annual New Year's Eve fireworks show.

"The left side of the hotel is completely gone," Al Jazeera's Diana al-Rifai reported from the scene.

"There was a minor stampede - panic set in and people ran away."

By 21:00 GMT, authorities said the fire had largely been brought under control, injuring at least 16 people.

On Friday morning, firefighters appeared to have mostly extinguished the blaze, even though plumes of white smoke still emanated from the hotel.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Jamjoom, also reporting from Dubai, said that as of Friday morning, all roads leading to the hotel were still blocked by authorities.

He said investigators are continuing to gather evidence as to what caused the fire, and it could take longer than usual to investigate, because of the New Year break.

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