Dubai Marina tower fire: Civil Defence saves 3,820 lives in heroic rescue

Dubai: While residents scrambled to escape the massive fire in a 67-storey tower in Dubai Marina late on Friday night, one of the first hands of safety came from the Dubai Civil Defence teams.

“I wrapped a wet towel and tried to rush down the staircase, but it was pitch black with smoke. I could barely breathe, and then I saw a firefighter. He got us out alive and safe,” a resident said.

Watch the video below by Ahmad Alotbi/Gulf News

Among several videos of the blaze circulating on social media platforms, one shows a resident profusely thanking a firefighter for saving his pets.

“They are amazing. In the middle of the fire, they saved our babies,” he said, holding his pets.

In a dramatic overnight operation, Civil Defence teams successfully evacuated more than 3,800 residents and extinguished the massive fire.

The blaze, which erupted after 9:30 pm, sent plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky and lit up the high-rise skyline, drawing alarmed onlookers and prompting an immediate emergency response.

Civil Defence, police, and ambulance crews rushed to the scene within minutes, launching a complex firefighting and rescue operation.

Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of emergency services, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.