An enormous fire at a high-rise building lit up a city in the United Arab Emirates.
The fire began late Tuesday night at the 48-story Abbco Tower in Sharjah, a residential building located in the country’s third-largest city. The building, which towers more than 620 feet, is one of the tallest buildings in Sharjah, according to the Associated Press.
The blaze began around 9 p.m. and quickly leaped up the sides of the 48-story tower. Video sourced from the scene showed burning debris tumbling down the sides of the building and onto the ground. According to the government-run Sharjah Media Office, at least seven people suffered minor injuries from the fire.
BREAKING: Large fire erupts at residential skyscraper in Sharjah, UAE; no word on injuries pic.twitter.com/xS1gQzWBGg
— BNO News (@BNONews) May 5, 2020
The fire was similar to other high-rise blazes that have occurred in the UAE in recent years in that it spread because of flammable material used in the buildings’ cladding, or siding, which covers the sides of the towers.
It is not yet clear what initially sparked the fire, which resulted in a massive response from firefighters in Sharjah. A ladder truck was used to douse the building with water as the Abbco tower continued to smolder into Wednesday local time.
It took several drones, at least a dozen fire trucks, and scores of firefighters but authorities finally put out a massive #fire that ravaged the 40-floor Abbco Tower in #AlNahda #Sharjah. Cooling ops underway
Video: Fire breaks out in Sharjah building https://t.co/8f4ND1H1z8 pic.twitter.com/gEDRRtOlV0— Vicky Kapur (@vickykapur) May 5, 2020
