A luxury hotel in Dubai packed with people waiting to see New Year’s Eve fireworks was engulfed with flames Thursday night.

The 63-story hotel, known as The Address, stands across from the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, which was not reported to be involved in the blaze.

There is no immediate word on the cause of the fire, which erupted at about 9:30 p.m., local time (about 1730 UTC). Flames quickly moved through more than 20 stories of the hotel, blazing brightly in the night and visible for kilometers in all directions. Neither was there any word on possible casualties.

This correspondent was dining near the scene of the inferno in central Dubai when the fast-moving fire broke out.

Within a half hour, flames had raced to the top of the hotel tower and the sky was full of thick black smoke. Pieces of burning wreckage fell to the ground from the hotel tower.

The Burj Khalifa, more than 800 meters tall, was to have been the focal point of a spectacular fireworks display along the Dubai waterfront to usher in the New Year.

Witnesses said tens of thousands of people were crowded into the downtown area near the blazing hotel and the Burj Khalifa.

The hotel, a favorite for international celebrities and wealthy travelers would have been packed on Thursday because it is an ideal location for viewing the fireworks display.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said earlier Thursday that thousands of security personnel were on duty to ensure safe conditions during the New Year’s festivities.
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