Fire engulfs Dubai high-rise

A towering inferno broke out in Dubai about two hours before midnight Thursday at The Address Downtown, a 63-story luxury hotel and residential building located near the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.

The Dubai Media Office said 14 people had been injured and one person suffered a heart attack because of the smoke and overcrowding during the building’s evacuation.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which ran up at least 20 stories of the building. Dubai’s Media Office tweeted that the fire appeared to have originated on a 20th floor terrace.

Tens of thousands of people had already gathered near the base of hotel this evening for a massive New Year’s fireworks display, which began as scheduled at midnight and was expected to attract a million onlookers. The celebration includes 1.6 tons of fireworks and the lighting up of the Burj Khalifa with 400,000 LED lights.

Nearly an hour after the fire began, some onlookers began to leave the area while others pressed against barricades to watch the blaze.

Stuart O’Donnell, a British intensive care nurse who works in Dubai, said he was worried for those inside the building, as it was in a prime location to watch the fireworks display: “You feel sad for the people inside. … It spread so quickly when it started,” O’Donnell said, adding, “I do feel suspicious of when a fire breaks out on New Year’s Eve.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.