Dubai: Fire broke out at the residential Al Tayer Tower near Al Nahda Park in Sharjah on Saturday. Hundreds of families have been displaced.
The fire started at around 2:30am, residents told Gulf News.
It is not clear what caused the blaze at the 43-storey building.
Ambulances were at the scene as firefighters battled for about five hours to control the flames that engulfed the building, witnesses said.
There were no reported casualties, the Sharjah Police said.
Hassan Modan, a resident in the 9th floor of the building, told Gulf News that the fire appeared to have started at the first floor of the building. This could not be immediately confirmed.
"Initially most people thought it was a false alarm, but when the alarm persisted, that's when everyone quickly vacated the building. Everyone, along with families, children and the elderly, rushed down the stairs and out to safety," Modan said.
"I only managed to take my wallet and mobile phone. I saw some people carrying their passports, but many people were just rushing out of the building without bringing anything with them," he said.
Another resident, who refused to be identified, said that hundreds of families displaced by the fire have temporarily taken shelter at the nearby Al Nahda Park. "People are in a state of shock and panic, especially those whose apartments have been totally damaged. We hope that we will get through this ordeal," the resident said.
The latest incident comes 95 days after a fire ravaged a 25-storey residential high-rise, also in Sharjah.
The fire in January left 125 families homeless.
With inputs from Mariam Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
