Building in Sharjah catches fire

Sharjah: A residential building under construction in Al Khan district caught fire late on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear what caused the flames.

A thick plume of black smoke can be seen from kilometres away as the fire consumed the building's top floor, spewing out flaming debris to the ground.

The fire caused traffic to come to a near halt and long tailbacks on the busy roads around Al Khan residential-commercial district off Jamal Abdul Nasser Street.

Firefighters used cranes to battle the blaze till the wee hours of the morning.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries.