Cigarette caused Torch Tower fire, says Dubai Police
Investigation was completed 10 days after the fire, says commander-in-chief
The huge fire at Dubai’s Torch Tower earlier this month was caused by a burning cigarette thrown from an upper floor, Dubai Police investigations have revealed.
Dubai Police commander-in-chief Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri told local media during a seminar on fire safety that the cigarette butt landed on a potted plant on a balcony below and caught fire.
The blaze then set alight the external cladding and spread rapidly up the 87-storey residential tower on August 4. The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported, but 38 apartments were damaged the official said.
Ibtisam Al Abdouli, director of Dubai Police’s criminal evidence department, reportedly added that the police investigation on the Torch Tower fire was completed within 10 days after the incident.
However, Al Marri said the property damage and financial loss could have been minimised if security staff had been better trained in safety procedures.
He was quoted as telling Gulf News: “These men should be qualified and equipped with enough skills to deal with any tragedy. They need to begin the evacuation process immediately and know how to manage evacuating people with special needs and the injured.”
It is not the first time the Torch Tower has sustained substantial fire damage. In February 2015 a similar blaze broke out, charring the outside of the building from the 50th floor up.
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