Huge Blaze engulfs residential towers in Ajman UAE

Abu Dhabi(United Arab Emirates) : Two residential towers have been engulfed in a huge blaze in northern UAE emirate of Ajman.

The fire had reportedly erupted at a building in the Ajman One residential cluster of 12 towers and spread to at least another tower yesterday.

The residents were evacuated and the blaze was brought under control.

The Emirati Interior Minister, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, rushed to Ajman to help co-ordinate the response to the blaze, Ajman police said, reports news.com.au.

Those who sustained injuries were immediately given medical assistance.

The image of the fire surfaced in social media showing bright yellow flames spreading up the side of a building.

Ajman is home to many commuters who work in the Gulf commercial hub of Dubai. Like Dubai, it is one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE federation.

Tenants braved the situation as they rushed for safety. They later gathered around the complex as the buildings burned.

The UAE has been facing series of tower fires in the past.

During the 2016 New Year's celebrations, a fire broke out in a luxury 63-storey hotel near Dubai's tallest building.

In February, a huge fire gutted one of the emirate's tallest buildings, destroying luxury flats in the Torch tower and triggering an evacuation of nearby blocs in the Dubai Marina neighbourhood.

Last year too in November and October, two different fires in three residential blocs in central Dubai and high-rise residential tower in the Emirati city of Sharjah were engulfed with fire.

Building and safety experts say that material commonly used to cover the buildings known as aluminIum composite panel cladding is the reason for the fires.

Some panels used in buildings in the Emirates contain a flammable core that can burn rapidly one ignited, allowing fires to spread quickly on buildings.

However, it was not clear if the skyscraper in the Ajman fire had similar cladding.