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According to local media, a fire ripped through an apartment building in Dubai’s older neighborhood, killing at least 16 people and wounding nine.
On Saturday, a fire broke out on the fourth level of the building in the Al-Ras neighborhood.
According to a statement reported by The National, a UAE-based publication, preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by “a lack of compliance with building safety and security requirements.”
“Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident,” according to the statement.
Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates seven emirates, has a population of around 3.3 million people, nearly 90 percent of whom are foreigners.
The victims’ nationalities have not been revealed.
In recent years, fires have broken out in towers in Dubai and other rapidly rising cities in the UAE. In 2017, a major fire broke out near the city’s largest shopping center at a high-rise under construction. On New Year’s Eve two years ago, a fire ravaged a five-star hotel in Dubai, injuring numerous individuals.
According to building and safety experts, a culprit is a common form of aluminum outside cladding with a combustible plastic core.
In 2017, authorities announced the adoption of tighter building codes to reduce the risk of fire, including the use of the fire-resistant coating.
