:00:00. > :00:12.A major fire has broken out in hotel near a planned New Year's Eve
:00:13. > :00:16.One eyewitness told the BBC that debris was flying everywhere,
:00:17. > :00:21.An enormous clean-up operation is underway after Storm Frank
:00:22. > :00:27.brought flooding misery to thousands of people.
:00:28. > :00:29.The Labour MP Simon Danczuk has been suspended from the party
:00:30. > :00:31.following allegations he sent explicit text messages
:00:32. > :00:40.Also in the next hour, happy new year, as cities around
:00:41. > :00:44.London prepares for a midnight fireworks display on the River
:00:45. > :00:45.Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament.
:00:46. > :00:48.But planned celebrations in Brussels have been cancelled and police have
:00:49. > :00:51.arrested six people in connection with an alleged plot to target
:00:52. > :00:59.And veteran actress Barbara Windsor is made a dame
:01:00. > :01:03.The EastEnders and Carry On star was recognised for services
:01:04. > :01:13.You go "why me", and I just say thank you and I'll do my best to be
:01:14. > :01:44.Good afternoon and welcome to BBC News.
:01:45. > :01:53.A fire has broken out in a building near do by's massive New Year's Eve
:01:54. > :01:57.fireworks display, just hours before the fireworks display is scheduled
:01:58. > :02:03.to get under way. Nina Warhurst has been following the story. What do we
:02:04. > :02:07.know? We found out about the fire in the last half-hour, the pictures
:02:08. > :02:13.showing a fire that has spread over 20 or more stories of a hotel which
:02:14. > :02:20.is called the Address Hotel in central divide, not far from the
:02:21. > :02:28.Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper. They were preparing for
:02:29. > :02:32.the New Year's Eve fireworks, due to start in the next couple of hours.
:02:33. > :02:36.We have seen a number of images saying that debris has been falling
:02:37. > :02:40.all around and that emergency services are on hand in evacuating
:02:41. > :02:44.the scene all around. There will be a major operation to make sure
:02:45. > :02:49.people are kept safe on the street waiting for the firework display. At
:02:50. > :02:54.the moment, we do not know what caused the fire and we have no news
:02:55. > :02:57.of any casualties. Looking at the images, it is difficult to avoid
:02:58. > :03:04.comparisons with other disasters involving skyscrapers. The fire
:03:05. > :03:09.looks to have got set in various parts of the hotel, not just in one.
:03:10. > :03:14.Yes, what strikes you is that it has spread across more than 20 stories.
:03:15. > :03:17.If people are making links between the fireworks, saying that could
:03:18. > :03:22.have something to do with it, that has not been confirmed by anybody at
:03:23. > :03:25.the scene. But it is not a small fire and you can see that already it
:03:26. > :03:30.has spread to different parts of the hotel. We know there has been a
:03:31. > :03:34.major operation to evacuate people from the hotel and from around the
:03:35. > :03:42.scene as debris continues to fall. Thank you for the moment. I want to
:03:43. > :03:48.speak to someone who was outside the tower and saw what was going on.
:03:49. > :03:52.That is right. When were you first aware there was a problem? We were
:03:53. > :03:59.outside the Burj Khalifa hotel, waiting in line for the fireworks
:04:00. > :04:05.display, myself and my son and daughter. Suddenly we saw a huge
:04:06. > :04:11.black plume of smoke coming between the Burj Khalifa tower and the other
:04:12. > :04:17.hotel. Within seconds, we saw an orange flame and then the flames
:04:18. > :04:23.burst out really big. Before we knew it, the whole of the Address Hotel
:04:24. > :04:30.was covered in orange flames, and the fire was really burning quick
:04:31. > :04:35.and fast. It was horrible to see it. Especially knowing the hotel would
:04:36. > :04:42.have been full for the New Year celebrations. We are talking about a
:04:43. > :04:53.5-star hotel. How big? It is quite a big tower. I think it is a good 20
:04:54. > :04:57.stories, I believe. What about the rescue, the Fire Services? To be
:04:58. > :05:06.honest, we heard sirens coming quite quick. I think they were under
:05:07. > :05:14.control very, very quickly. But to be honest, the fire took hold so
:05:15. > :05:20.fast it was quite amazing. It went so fast, the whole tower engulfed.
:05:21. > :05:24.But as I say, the Fire Service and security were pretty quick at
:05:25. > :05:33.getting things under control, I would say. Any idea how it started?
:05:34. > :05:38.Obviously, the fireworks were scheduled. Any indication they were
:05:39. > :05:45.somehow to blame? No idea, there is no word around at the moment
:05:46. > :05:49.suggesting how this was started. I must be honest, I was extremely
:05:50. > :05:54.nervous, because prior to this happening, we were very worried
:05:55. > :06:05.because there was extra security this year. Nobody got too close to
:06:06. > :06:11.anything, unless you paid for seating at the restaurant. We
:06:12. > :06:16.thought, well, there seemed to be extra security, I wonder why. When
:06:17. > :06:20.this happened I was very quick at saying to my daughter, we are going
:06:21. > :06:29.to leave, get out of this area, away from the Burj Khalifa tower, in case
:06:30. > :06:36.there is some situation we don't know. I intended to get out of the
:06:37. > :06:40.area pretty quick, through the crowds, which isn't easy. People
:06:41. > :06:48.were panicking as well, running across the street, pushing you over
:06:49. > :06:53.to get away as well. Michelle, you are using very careful language, but
:06:54. > :06:58.obviously when you see a skyscraper in flames, it does have rather
:06:59. > :07:08.horrific reminders of previous disasters. Of course, of course.
:07:09. > :07:12.This is exact Lee how I felt. I thought, crikey, what is going on
:07:13. > :07:16.with the world we are living in at the moment. The Paris situation and
:07:17. > :07:24.different things going on, you can't help but worry what could happen
:07:25. > :07:29.next. When I saw it happen so quick, the first reaction was, I need to
:07:30. > :07:34.get my children and get out of this area, get my kids out of this area,
:07:35. > :07:40.and that is what I did. Michelle, I am grateful for your time. That was
:07:41. > :07:46.a tourist who saw the blaze. I can speak now to David, who was staying
:07:47. > :07:54.at a nearby hotel. What are you looking at at the moment? At the
:07:55. > :07:57.moment I'm in the middle of the Burj Khalifa area just across the
:07:58. > :08:02.fountain of the Burj Khalifa. I am here waiting for the fireworks at
:08:03. > :08:11.the Burj Khalifa. Suddenly, half an hour ago, the building just across
:08:12. > :08:17.from me just burst into flames. It started from the lower level. What I
:08:18. > :08:21.can see right now, the fire is even getting bigger. I can tell you right
:08:22. > :08:28.now, I think the firefighters really hard to handle the burning, the
:08:29. > :08:38.fire, because it is spreading everywhere. It started from the
:08:39. > :08:46.lower levels and now it is going up. I concede now the fire burning in
:08:47. > :08:47.the hotel. According to people around me this is one of the very
:08:48. > :09:05.famous hotels in downtown Jew by. If you could just hang on the line
:09:06. > :09:12.for a moment. I want to explain that what we are looking at is a blaze at
:09:13. > :09:17.the hotel called the Address. It is described as a sophisticated hotel,
:09:18. > :09:23.providing top 5-star accommodation. There is an infinity pool, a 24-hour
:09:24. > :09:29.gym, panoramic holistic spa, and a restaurant on the top floor as well.
:09:30. > :09:34.There are seven different restaurants on the site. We are
:09:35. > :09:42.looking at a huge area in terms of guest rooms and we can just show you
:09:43. > :09:47.a close-up of the complex. And that is the scale of what we are looking
:09:48. > :09:55.at and the fire taking hold of an entire side of that hotel. One of
:09:56. > :10:00.the things people were talking about was the debris coming down onto the
:10:01. > :10:07.street. Did you see that? Can you repeat the question? There were
:10:08. > :10:13.reports of a lot of debris coming down on people below. Did you see
:10:14. > :10:17.that? Yes. I can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it
:10:18. > :10:23.is getting bigger and bigger. It is quite scary, to be honest, at the
:10:24. > :10:31.moment. The problem is the people inside the Burj Khalifa cannot move
:10:32. > :10:38.anywhere. All of the security says we cannot move anywhere. Now people
:10:39. > :10:47.are overlooking that building and it is quite scary because the fire is
:10:48. > :10:51.getting bigger and wider. You say that firefighters are at the scene,
:10:52. > :10:55.but looking at the flames, and we are looking at a local broadcast at
:10:56. > :11:03.the moment, they appear to be getting worse by the minute. Yes,
:11:04. > :11:09.yes. I think all the firefighters are already there but I think they
:11:10. > :11:13.have difficulty to tackle the huge blaze that happens in this building
:11:14. > :11:25.at the moment. Because I can see now, where I stand now is just
:11:26. > :11:37.across inside the Burj Khalifa area, so the fire is just behind that area
:11:38. > :11:42.in one of the famous tourist places in Dubai. New Year's Eve, it is
:11:43. > :11:45.packed, ready for the fireworks. There have already been increased
:11:46. > :11:51.security and this would be an area considered a threat for some. Yes,
:11:52. > :11:57.yes. We are not sure about the fireworks, is it still going to
:11:58. > :12:00.happen or not, because of this. But security said we cannot move
:12:01. > :12:07.anywhere and we have to stay here at the moment. Many people are here
:12:08. > :12:12.inside the complex at the moment. Described the mood in the downtown
:12:13. > :12:19.area before the fire. Thousands of people getting ready to celebrate.
:12:20. > :12:26.Yes. Before, the mood was very nice. People were cheering, happy,
:12:27. > :12:33.waiting, queueing in the Burj Khalifa area. And since nothing
:12:34. > :12:42.happened, everything was under control. Security everywhere, police
:12:43. > :12:47.everywhere. I can guarantee it was smooth earlier. So now it is
:12:48. > :12:55.happening, people start to worry. But again, like I said, no one can
:12:56. > :13:01.move from here. And the Address Hotel, what can you tell us about
:13:02. > :13:08.that? It is a huge complex, isn't it? Yes, it is a very huge complex.
:13:09. > :13:16.It is a very famous hotel and usually during New Year 's time, at
:13:17. > :13:23.at least 90% occupancy from what I read so far. It is a very famous
:13:24. > :13:33.place, and very close to the Burj Khalifa area in Dubai, so many
:13:34. > :13:37.tourists. It is always packed with tourists, the boulevard, especially
:13:38. > :13:40.during this time. What is the weather like at the moment? Some
:13:41. > :13:47.reports of strong wind which is hoping to spread the flames. Right
:13:48. > :14:01.now, the weather is nice. It is not too cold. That is the thing that I
:14:02. > :14:05.can describe so far. Obviously, with skyscrapers like this, and it is
:14:06. > :14:12.home to the world's tallest skyscraper, this is something that
:14:13. > :14:17.firefighters will have trained for. I am sorry, I can't hear you. So far
:14:18. > :14:25.what I am seeing right now, the fire is still burning and is still
:14:26. > :14:34.spreading to the left side of the building. And it keeps going up. So
:14:35. > :14:41.I have no idea. How are they going to save the people inside? Hopefully
:14:42. > :14:50.they can keep everybody safe. We can see from where I stand, I cannot see
:14:51. > :14:56.how they deal with the fire. We are behind and inside the complex area
:14:57. > :14:59.of Burj Khalifa. We were talking about a 5-star hotel. There are
:15:00. > :15:03.obviously balconies there. Are they balconies where people have
:15:04. > :15:08.barbecues in holiday time and things like that. I don't think they are
:15:09. > :15:17.allowed to do that in a building like this. But according to people
:15:18. > :15:25.standing beside me when I asked about the building, usually
:15:26. > :15:28.sometimes the fireworks before the big ones coming started from that
:15:29. > :15:34.area. But again, I am not sure about that. He said they usually have a
:15:35. > :15:39.little show from that side of the building and then it goes to the big
:15:40. > :15:44.building, the Burj Khalifa, but I am not sure again. Looking at the live
:15:45. > :15:48.pictures, these are scenes you looking at, we are getting it from
:15:49. > :15:53.local television and they are breaking into their regular
:15:54. > :15:57.programme with the story, but it was quite clear that the fire appears to
:15:58. > :16:00.have taken hold but there is still electricity in the building, so
:16:01. > :16:13.there is still a chance for people to get out, presumably. Yes. How
:16:14. > :16:17.fast the fire built up to the upper level of the building, that is the
:16:18. > :16:25.thing we worried about very much. We are not sure. I haven't read any
:16:26. > :16:30.news about any people, any victims or anything so far. And just
:16:31. > :16:34.explain, people when they hear of stories like this, they turn on
:16:35. > :16:37.their television to find out what is going on. Can you explain what your
:16:38. > :16:47.understanding is off what has happened in the last hour since this
:16:48. > :16:52.happened? Actually, it happened out of the blue. No one expected it was
:16:53. > :16:56.going to happen. We are in the mood of getting ready for the massive
:16:57. > :17:01.firework display from the Burj Khalifa. And suddenly someone
:17:02. > :17:08.shouted and we looked to the right side of the building when the fire
:17:09. > :17:15.just broke out. Everybody started to panic around here. They were taking
:17:16. > :17:21.photos, videos and everything, but there is nothing much you can do
:17:22. > :17:27.inside here because we cannot move. We just stay here so far, just
:17:28. > :17:34.watching the fire happening until now. Inevitably, people will be
:17:35. > :17:39.looking at this and wondering if we are looking at an accident, but
:17:40. > :17:42.obviously two hours before a huge firework display scheduled to get
:17:43. > :17:54.under way, that is where they are looking at the moment. Yes, indeed.
:17:55. > :17:57.Because they were about to be ready for the firework display, so I am
:17:58. > :18:02.not sure whether they are still doing it. People are quite calm at
:18:03. > :18:08.the moment, no one seems to panic. Everybody just stays calm and
:18:09. > :18:15.waiting. Many families, young kids also here. And I believe the
:18:16. > :18:18.security handled it well so far, working very hard to make sure
:18:19. > :18:26.people are calm and not panicked in this complex. Stay safe. Thank you
:18:27. > :18:33.very much for giving us that latest information on this fire. My
:18:34. > :18:38.colleague Nina Warhurst is here in the studio and we are monitoring
:18:39. > :18:40.these pictures. It does look at the moment as though the fire is taking
:18:41. > :18:46.hold but we still don't know what caused it. It looks to me, even in
:18:47. > :18:51.the time I have been sat here, the fire has spread to the other side of
:18:52. > :18:54.the hotel. We do not know what caused it, we have no picture so far
:18:55. > :19:01.as to whether there are any casualties. Dubai At this time of
:19:02. > :19:04.year is a popular holiday destination. Lots of people from the
:19:05. > :19:08.UK will be heading there for some winter sun. We heard from a British
:19:09. > :19:15.tourists earlier saying there was a party atmosphere in downtown Dubai.
:19:16. > :19:19.People were looking forward to one of the world's biggest fireworks
:19:20. > :19:22.displays. There will be people questioning whether the fireworks
:19:23. > :19:27.were the cause of the blaze, although that has not been confirmed
:19:28. > :19:30.yet. For people who have been there on holiday, looking forward to a
:19:31. > :19:36.party night out, a celebration, it must be terrifying. Two of the
:19:37. > :19:40.eyewitnesses have said how good the emergency services have been in
:19:41. > :19:45.clearing the area around the hotel, which looks like there has been
:19:46. > :19:51.debris falling over the past 45 minutes or so. Terrifying for people
:19:52. > :19:58.there. Lots of reaction to this on Twitter, people speculating. Dubai
:19:59. > :20:02.Media office have tweeted saying that the fire started on the 20th
:20:03. > :20:06.floor, and at that stage it was outside the tower only. From these
:20:07. > :20:11.pictures, it is clear that it has spread very fast. It also appears to
:20:12. > :20:14.have spread not only above the 20th floor, but also below, because it
:20:15. > :20:22.looks at though there were flames near the brown level -- near the
:20:23. > :20:26.ground level as well. Yes, it has spread all the way across and down.
:20:27. > :20:29.Interesting that the lights are still on, so you would hope that
:20:30. > :20:34.people are able to make their way out if they are still trapped inside
:20:35. > :20:39.the building. Because the lights are still on at the moment. But as you
:20:40. > :20:43.say, it looks like it is engulfing the building. We knew that half an
:20:44. > :20:48.hour ago it was across at least 20 floors and it looks like it has
:20:49. > :20:52.spread even further. If you are just joining us, you are looking at
:20:53. > :21:00.distressing pictures of a huge fire that has engulfed the Address Hotel
:21:01. > :21:03.in downtown Dubai. This is just hours before a large firework
:21:04. > :21:12.display was due to start to herald the New Year. It is now 10:20pm in
:21:13. > :21:15.Dubai. Still more than an hour before the fireworks were scheduled
:21:16. > :21:19.to go off, but people we have been talking to are suggesting that the
:21:20. > :21:25.fireworks would normally be in the area where this fire is now taking
:21:26. > :21:31.hold. It is just near the Burj Khalifa Tower, the world's largest
:21:32. > :21:36.building. Reports from eyewitnesses, some of whom we have spoken to,
:21:37. > :21:40.saying that debris, blazing debris is now falling onto streets below,
:21:41. > :21:45.where a large number of fire crews are gathered as they try to tackle
:21:46. > :21:50.the blaze. But as you can see, power is still on in the building, so the
:21:51. > :21:58.hope is that people inside will be able to find their way to safety.
:21:59. > :22:02.But let's talk now to another eyewitness who joins me on the line.
:22:03. > :22:13.John, tell me what you are looking at. Hello, I am at a racecourse just
:22:14. > :22:22.outside of central Dubai. 10,000 people here tonight, a sell-out.
:22:23. > :22:29.About 40 minutes ago, the Burj Khalifa was lit up. Everybody
:22:30. > :22:34.cheered. As they did, you could see flames coming from next door. It
:22:35. > :22:37.caused chaos here. Some people were running, some screaming, not sure
:22:38. > :22:43.what was going on. In these times, you don't know what is going on.
:22:44. > :22:47.Security tried to calm us down. To be fair to the organisers here,
:22:48. > :22:50.nothing was disrupted on stage. They carried on as normal and tried to
:22:51. > :22:55.encourage people inside to enjoy the night. Word got round that a fire
:22:56. > :23:00.had started in the building next door to the Burj Khalifa, known as
:23:01. > :23:04.the Address, a combination of residential and a hotel. Eventually,
:23:05. > :23:09.you could start seeing the flames coming from the hotel from where we
:23:10. > :23:16.are. What we are seeing now, it seems to have calmed down a little.
:23:17. > :23:21.At one moment you could see the fireworks, lots of sparks from the
:23:22. > :23:25.building, lots of flames as well. Just looking at the Burj Khalifa, it
:23:26. > :23:33.is lit up, ready for the big firework display tonight. It is just
:23:34. > :23:37.plumed in smoke. The smoke is covering the skyline, creating this
:23:38. > :23:42.fog and mist across the skyline. And the fear is that this fire will
:23:43. > :23:46.spread to other buildings, because as we watch, it is getting bigger
:23:47. > :23:52.and the bits of debris, much of it on fire, is spreading to other
:23:53. > :23:57.buildings. We have been told that the whole of the central downtown
:23:58. > :24:04.area, round by the fountains on the Burj Khalifa, has now been
:24:05. > :24:08.completely evacuated. As you can imagine, the Address Hotel was due
:24:09. > :24:11.to be part of the huge fireworks display. Obviously a lot of
:24:12. > :24:16.pyrotechnics lined up across the building. Probably the images you
:24:17. > :24:20.are seeing at home, with the fire going to the top of the Address is a
:24:21. > :24:24.commendation of the fireworks and pyrotechnics going up in flames. We
:24:25. > :24:29.are hearing from the civil defence official who has been speaking to a
:24:30. > :24:35.TV station that there are no injuries, which is great news,
:24:36. > :24:37.obviously. Also saying the New Year celebrations will proceed. That
:24:38. > :24:43.would seem out of step with what we are looking at because it looks like
:24:44. > :24:47.a major inferno that we are seeing. That doesn't surprise me. They seem
:24:48. > :24:54.to just go on here regardless. Like I say, here, there are 10,000 people
:24:55. > :24:59.here, a complete sell-out, huge event, one of the first times they
:25:00. > :25:03.have hosted international DJs on New Year's Eve and hosted one of the
:25:04. > :25:06.biggest events outside of the downtown area. We are being told to
:25:07. > :25:13.enjoy the night, everything is going on as normal. I must admit that I am
:25:14. > :25:20.surprised that is still the plan for downtown, after hearing they have
:25:21. > :25:23.completely evacuated the area by the Burj Khalifa and the Address. But
:25:24. > :25:31.from what I can see now, there do not seem to be any flames. There do
:25:32. > :25:36.not seem to be any sparks or fireworks coming from the building.
:25:37. > :25:40.From what we have been told, firefighters are trying to deal with
:25:41. > :25:44.the situation. There were rumours that the actual Burj Khalifa was on
:25:45. > :25:49.fire. I can guarantee that from here I can see very, very clearly that is
:25:50. > :25:54.not the case. The reason some people are getting confused is because of
:25:55. > :26:02.the plume of smoke covering a good quarter of the building. Looking at
:26:03. > :26:06.these images, it is the worst scenario and many other images from
:26:07. > :26:14.previous disasters spring to mind. You are looking at a tower block on
:26:15. > :26:19.fire and seemingly out. It is a huge tower block. Right next to the Burj
:26:20. > :26:26.Khalifa, very prominent in the skyline. We just pray that if there
:26:27. > :26:31.is anybody in there, they are out safely. It doesn't look good from
:26:32. > :26:41.here. The smoke is billowing out of the building. It is causing this fog
:26:42. > :26:48.and smoke right across the skyline of Dubai. John, thank you. That was
:26:49. > :26:54.an eyewitness. You are looking at images of the Address, a 5-star
:26:55. > :26:58.hotel in the Downs town district, -- downtown district. We will have full
:26:59. > :27:01.details. Reeta Chakrabarti will be here with a bulletin. We will now
:27:02. > :27:10.look at the weather with Louise Lear. I am sorry, we are going to
:27:11. > :27:14.join our colleagues at BBC world. We welcome viewers on the BBC News
:27:15. > :27:25.Channel in the UK. We are watching the fire in Dubai. It has taken hold
:27:26. > :27:31.of a 60 story luxury hotel, the Address in downtown Dubai. We are
:27:32. > :27:36.showing live pictures of what is happening. This is very close to the
:27:37. > :27:39.Burj Khalifa, which was due to be the focus of a massive and
:27:40. > :27:44.spectacular firework display and a couple of hours. Obviously a lot of
:27:45. > :27:48.fireworks being stored but we have heard from an official that it is
:27:49. > :27:57.believed the fire you are witnessing took hold on the 20th floor of the
:27:58. > :28:06.Address. With us on the line, Michelle, who is in Dubai. Remind
:28:07. > :28:17.us, when were you aware that something was wrong? We were keeping
:28:18. > :28:20.an ion the time. It was a beautiful night, a clear evening, lovely with
:28:21. > :28:27.everything lit up, the hotel was lit up. We saw a black plume of smoke
:28:28. > :28:36.coming between the Burj Khalifa tower and the Address Hotel. All of
:28:37. > :28:41.a sudden we saw an orange flame and within minutes, a couple of minutes,
:28:42. > :28:47.there was loads of flames, orange flames. The fire really started to
:28:48. > :28:55.take hold, and before we knew it, the whole of the Address was getting
:28:56. > :29:02.gutted and literally completely on fire from where we were standing. It
:29:03. > :29:07.really was bad. And Michelle, you are close to the scene with your son
:29:08. > :29:13.and daughter, you see the fire take hold, tell us how you reacted. To be
:29:14. > :29:20.honest, I reacted like a mother would, I think, even though my son
:29:21. > :29:25.and daughter are 22 and 25 years old, I quickly said to them, you
:29:26. > :29:34.know what, I want to get you safe. We need to get out of here. My son
:29:35. > :29:39.wanted to go back and get his car, actually from an underground car
:29:40. > :29:45.park. I said, no, you are not, we are not doing that. We are going to
:29:46. > :29:49.get out of this area. I wanted to leave the area before everybody else
:29:50. > :29:52.started to leave, because there were thousands of people there and I did
:29:53. > :29:58.not want to leave it too late in case there was more of a problem. We
:29:59. > :30:03.have viewers watching the story developed, and it is important to
:30:04. > :30:04.let people know, this would have been an incredibly crowded area, and
:30:05. > :30:14.getting more crowded by the minute. I am not sure what time it was,
:30:15. > :30:19.because I didn't have a watch on me, but, yeah, more and more people were
:30:20. > :30:22.turning up all the time, for the New Year's celebration, they were
:30:23. > :30:27.arriving, so the streets were getting crowded, there was a lot
:30:28. > :30:30.people about. Michelle... As we were leaving, towards the end, people
:30:31. > :30:37.were running in all directions and I got knocked over a couple of times
:30:38. > :30:46.actually, trying to leave the area. Michelle, I am very glad you got
:30:47. > :30:52.yourself, your son and daughter to safety. The incident began, and
:30:53. > :30:59.painting the picture for us in Dubai, we are going to bring in Nina
:31:00. > :31:05.Wadhurst who is watching these terrifying pictures. This is the
:31:06. > :31:08.address hotel is really well-known, people would be flocking for New
:31:09. > :31:12.Year's Eve. That is right. As you know Dubai is a popular destination
:31:13. > :31:16.at this time of year, for people who live in colder climate, going there
:31:17. > :31:20.to get some winter sun, and as you mention, it would have been
:31:21. > :31:26.thousands of people in that area of down town due by getting ready for
:31:27. > :31:33.the fireworks supposed to start in a couple of hour, the hotel is very
:31:34. > :31:38.popular, it is five-star, a spa facility, people who will have spent
:31:39. > :31:44.a lot of money, one can only imagine the terse very that has met them
:31:45. > :31:46.there, and on the ground. We have seen several eyewitness can't,
:31:47. > :31:51.photographs on Twitter, debris falling, which is still lit, falling
:31:52. > :31:57.from the building, and we started monitoring these pictures probably
:31:58. > :32:01.an hour ago, didn't we, at that time it seems cob confined more on the
:32:02. > :32:05.left hand side, in that time we have seen it spread higher and higher and
:32:06. > :32:09.reach further down to the ground. Interesting that some the lights
:32:10. > :32:12.seem to be on so one would hope if there are people still inside there
:32:13. > :32:16.will be a way of them finding their way out. We were hearing from
:32:17. > :32:19.Michelle a few minutes ago, the sirens were on, within a couple of
:32:20. > :32:26.minute, a fast reaction, I think we can go to the scene now, speak to
:32:27. > :32:36.Devi. Can you hear me? Can you tell us where you are and what you can
:32:37. > :32:43.see? Hi, yes. At the moment I am still inside the Burj Lhalifa area,
:32:44. > :32:47.where thousands of people are still waiting for the massive fireworks
:32:48. > :32:55.display in two hours, but then suddenly it happened like, I think,
:32:56. > :33:00.45 minutes ago, where, when the building started on fire, and at the
:33:01. > :33:11.moment, the fire is not as big as before. I can see the steel burning,
:33:12. > :33:15.coming out from the building and I think the firefighters are doing
:33:16. > :33:21.their job, trying to reduce the fire, but still I can see from where
:33:22. > :33:27.I stand now, the fire is still on, on the middle of the building, and
:33:28. > :33:33.the upper level, as well. But at the lower part of the building, what I
:33:34. > :33:40.can see from where I am standing, it is getting reduced. The fire is not
:33:41. > :33:47.as big as before. So, that is the thing I can describe it for you at
:33:48. > :33:52.the moment. And I can also say that I think it security and the police
:33:53. > :33:59.here, inside the Burj Lhalifa was very good to handle the situation S
:34:00. > :34:06.people are so far... We cannot go anywhere, any way, so we have to
:34:07. > :34:11.wait inside, and around this area is already sealed. No-one can get out
:34:12. > :34:15.at the moment, because I have been, it is, they are still dealing with
:34:16. > :34:21.the fire. That is all I can describe it at the moment to you. So Devi, to
:34:22. > :34:31.be clear, have you been given advice by your hotel, about what to do? No,
:34:32. > :34:36.I am not saying that. Where I am standing, I can see clearly about
:34:37. > :34:42.the building on fire, but I am not saying -- staying in the hotel.
:34:43. > :34:50.Where I am standing is quite far, it is just across the building, across
:34:51. > :34:53.the, if I can describe, there is a big lake, around the Burj Lhalifa
:34:54. > :35:02.where a million people are standing there, here, to wait for the fire
:35:03. > :35:08.display. So far it is like this. Devi for those watching round the
:35:09. > :35:14.world, this is an area, Dubai is known for its fireworks, this is a
:35:15. > :35:20.place where people would have come specifically for tonight's
:35:21. > :35:26.celebrations. Yes, indeed. You know, many people in the world know how
:35:27. > :35:32.massive the fire display in Burj Lhalifa, everybody likes here, is so
:35:33. > :35:38.excited to be honest, earlier, to wait for the fireworks, so we didn't
:35:39. > :35:41.expect that this thing can happen, because the position of the building
:35:42. > :35:49.is just not far from the Burj Lhalifa. It is just right across the
:35:50. > :35:52.Burj Lhalifa, and it is a very famous popular destination for
:35:53. > :35:58.tourist, especially during this New tourist, especially during this New
:35:59. > :36:04.Year time. I believe there are many tourists staying in the hotel. That
:36:05. > :36:12.is a very famous and posh hotel, from what I know so far. Down town
:36:13. > :36:16.Dubai is at the centre of Dubai. You are watching this obviously in Dubai
:36:17. > :36:23.and I mean we have noticed it seems the lights are on in part of the
:36:24. > :36:27.hotel, but there must be a lot of connoisseur for people trapped
:36:28. > :36:36.inside there? Yes, indeed, but so far what I can see, from where I
:36:37. > :36:41.stand now, thousands of people, also still waiting calmly, and I can say
:36:42. > :36:47.they are quite calm, no-one is panic, no-one is screaming, or
:36:48. > :36:53.nothing, so I think leer the people, handle it, handle it pretty well,
:36:54. > :36:59.they don't seem worried, at the beginning of course they started
:37:00. > :37:04.taking videos, photos and telling everybody, send them, you see the
:37:05. > :37:10.fire, when the fire broke out, but now, so tar they are quite calm,
:37:11. > :37:14.because so many kids, young children, baby, you know, just
:37:15. > :37:19.around me, to wait for the fire display, so I am not sure they still
:37:20. > :37:25.are doing their fireworks, so we will still have to wait. Wait.
:37:26. > :37:29.Very glad you are watching in from a place of safety, thank you very much
:37:30. > :37:34.for being with us here on BBC News, as we follow this story, and watch,
:37:35. > :37:42.we know the fire crews are at the seen, but much of the hotel there
:37:43. > :37:46.still on fire, with me also is our Arab affairs editor Seb Stan Usher.
:37:47. > :37:52.This is a landmark complex, it is so close to the Burj Lhalifa. Yes the
:37:53. > :37:57.whole area, the hotel itself is a landmark area, it is a 63 storey
:37:58. > :38:01.building. It has been there before the Burj Lhalifa rose, in the past
:38:02. > :38:07.couple of years, the Dubai mall is next to it as well, so this is the
:38:08. > :38:11.very heart of Dubai, in a sense the heart, you know, of the modern Arab
:38:12. > :38:16.world, this is a skyline in Dubai that didn't exist 20 or 30 years
:38:17. > :38:23.ago, so just the sight of seeing a building like this on fire, and the
:38:24. > :38:27.speed with which it caught fire, has horrified people, I mean we
:38:28. > :38:30.literally had no, not a clue, so far, of what might have caused it.
:38:31. > :38:35.We have here and nothing from officials on that, I mean the only
:38:36. > :38:38.thing we have heard, is from a civil defence official who said there are
:38:39. > :38:44.no casualties but I think no-one can be sure of that whatsoever at the
:38:45. > :38:47.moment, I think that is something we cannot a really think, I mean one
:38:48. > :38:52.would hope that is the case, but this is a residential block as well
:38:53. > :38:58.as a hotel, the fire from the pictures that we first saw seems to
:38:59. > :39:05.have gone very very quickly up, at least 20 storeys, and it seems to
:39:06. > :39:10.have happened very quickly, I mean, I caught sight of it about 50
:39:11. > :39:16.minutes ago now. Nothing before. And the picture... Were appearing,
:39:17. > :39:19.showing the fire already engulfing most of the building. There had been
:39:20. > :39:24.no build up to this. It wasn't a fire started. People noticed it,
:39:25. > :39:27.starting to take pictures. That is what we were hearing from
:39:28. > :39:31.eyewitness, Michelle said she saw black smoke and a flame and suddenly
:39:32. > :39:34.there were flames all over I have spoken to one or two people in
:39:35. > :39:38.Dubai, that is what is worrying them the most, that and the fact not just
:39:39. > :39:41.people in there but as you were hearing, from the contributor just a
:39:42. > :39:47.moment a I mean there were a huge number of people who were gathered
:39:48. > :39:53.in that area, they had closed the area off hours ago, because of the
:39:54. > :39:57.numbers who were there. Obviously, there are security, there are
:39:58. > :40:01.ambulances, because of the New Year's celebration in any case, one
:40:02. > :40:04.would hope that would be a help. Hearing from isn't any real
:40:05. > :40:13.panening, I have heard it second-hand from one of the people
:40:14. > :40:16.there they have been evacuated. There has been from an Rab TV
:40:17. > :40:20.station which is broadcasting many of the pictures we are seeing, --
:40:21. > :40:26.Arab, they have said the understand is the fireworks will still go
:40:27. > :40:29.ahead, from what I am hear ocean the ground, people say that is unlikely
:40:30. > :40:35.as the situation is. I think officially it might be quite a long
:40:36. > :40:39.time before we really get any sense of what has happened. To remind
:40:40. > :40:45.viewers here in the UK and round the world, what we are looking at is
:40:46. > :40:56.still the developing scene at near the Burj Lhalifa in Dubai, flames
:40:57. > :41:01.have taken hold, across many storeys of the luxury hotel, the address
:41:02. > :41:09.downTown Nina Warhurst is monitoring it for us. We should explain that
:41:10. > :41:14.this is a magnet today, for what was supposed to be truly spectacular
:41:15. > :41:19.firework display, Dubai was Prout proud of this. Under an
:41:20. > :41:22.hour-and-a-half, they were due to be enjoying one of the world's biggest
:41:23. > :41:25.fireworks display, people will have fireworks display, people will have
:41:26. > :41:28.gone there specifically for New Year's Eve, because the fireworks
:41:29. > :41:34.display that is so famous, it is popular, we have heard from
:41:35. > :41:38.eyewitnesses there who said on the ground it was already tense, because
:41:39. > :41:43.security services like in many cities round the world, ore New Year
:41:44. > :41:47.security was tight, there were many checks going in so already people
:41:48. > :41:52.were feeling tense, and then, what started off as a plume of smoke
:41:53. > :41:56.developed very quickly, some comfort, hearing from now I have
:41:57. > :42:01.heard from four, maybe five different eyewitness, they have all
:42:02. > :42:04.really praised and the speed of the evacuation, the efficiency of
:42:05. > :42:07.emergency service, they feel that the situation is under control but
:42:08. > :42:11.looking at the picture... Of the last hour or so it does look like
:42:12. > :42:16.the flames have spread to the other side the hotel. We knew early on it
:42:17. > :42:23.has spread over 20 storey, and now it looks like it has engulfed the
:42:24. > :42:27.middle section of the hotel, and it is a mix, it is residents as well,
:42:28. > :42:30.people who live there. There have been some reports there are no
:42:31. > :42:35.casualty, one wonders whether that can be the case when it spread so
:42:36. > :42:39.quickly. Let us get more from Dubai and the BBC's correspondent Marcus
:42:40. > :42:45.George. Marcus, tell us a bit about what you are able to see. Yes, it is
:42:46. > :42:50.very clear at the moment, I am not in that particular air area of
:42:51. > :43:03.Dubai, according to what I have been reading onnen the Dubai Government
:43:04. > :43:08.media officer, Dubai is preparing for New Year's Eve celebration and
:43:09. > :43:13.Dubai being Dubai is having a monumental celebration here, which
:43:14. > :43:20.started in that area of the Burj Lhalifa, very near by the Address
:43:21. > :43:24.Hotel many people were gathering to be there, and this fire broke out,
:43:25. > :43:29.we don't know the cause, yet, that should come to light at some stage.
:43:30. > :43:32.Certainly, the security service, as you have been hearing and the Fire
:43:33. > :43:37.And Rescue Services have been quick to react. They are on the scene
:43:38. > :43:41.right now, we are unclear as to whether the fire is out yet, but we
:43:42. > :43:49.know that I have spoken to a couple of hotels in the area, and they are
:43:50. > :43:53.ready to receive the guests from the Address Hotel one hotel, is ready to
:43:54. > :43:57.receive the guests which will be evacuated. They are pretty full at
:43:58. > :44:01.this time of year, so-and-so of course there are many people who
:44:02. > :44:05.will be having to evacuate very quickly, and we don't, in terms of
:44:06. > :44:10.loss of life, we haven't got any word about that. There is one or two
:44:11. > :44:14.reports from local news station, saying there appears to be no loss
:44:15. > :44:18.of life. We don't want to make that call yet because it is early day,
:44:19. > :44:27.judging by the size of the fire. I have seen a great deal of pictures
:44:28. > :44:31.on social media, and showing these enormous flames engulfing the
:44:32. > :44:35.buildings, Dubai has hundreds of these kinds of sky scrapers and it
:44:36. > :44:39.has a history of one or two of the fires breaking out. I should let you
:44:40. > :44:45.know something that has come through from the media office in the last
:44:46. > :44:48.minute, saying the Dubai media office celebrations will continue as
:44:49. > :44:52.scheduled. Due, I suppose in about an
:44:53. > :44:57.hour-and-a-half from now, but I should tell you, we are also watch
:44:58. > :45:01.watching the live picture, these flames still engulfing it likes like
:45:02. > :45:04.ten, 20 storeys of this massive hotel, we know there are
:45:05. > :45:09.firefighters at the seen, but they have a massive challenge ahead of
:45:10. > :45:14.them, and yet the Dubai authorities clearly want the celebrations to
:45:15. > :45:19.continue. They have a lot invested in these celebrations don't they?
:45:20. > :45:24.Very much so. I think it is, a showpiece for Dubai. It has put on
:45:25. > :45:28.these enormous displays, to effectively put itself on the world
:45:29. > :45:33.map, along with other major cities round the world, in its, in their
:45:34. > :45:39.firework displays and so I am sure, I guess they are very confident if
:45:40. > :45:44.this will go ahead, what, we don't appear to be seeing a, any sort of
:45:45. > :45:49.major disaster unfolding in terms of loss of life. As I say it is too
:45:50. > :45:55.early to call that, but it seems that if they are going to go ahead,
:45:56. > :45:57.that certainly that is good news, as far as the whole tragic incident is
:45:58. > :46:01.concerned. I am going to correct myself,
:46:02. > :46:06.because I think what we are showing is in fact pictures from a few
:46:07. > :46:10.minutes ago, so we are going to get up-to-date with the status of the
:46:11. > :46:15.fire. As authorities knew there were going to be thousands of people in
:46:16. > :46:19.the area, they did have ambulances and fire crews standing by. I mean
:46:20. > :46:25.the logistics, the preparations for a night like this must be very
:46:26. > :46:29.thorough indeed. Yes, it is enormous, they were expecting a huge
:46:30. > :46:34.amount of guests and not just there, but of course Dubai has the a, as I
:46:35. > :46:38.say, a big history of putting on these events and this particular
:46:39. > :46:41.display was going to start at the Burj Lhalifa. The nor mous building,
:46:42. > :46:45.the largest in the world. It was going to start there, going to snake
:46:46. > :46:53.through town, pop up on the coast, and come towards where I am, at the
:46:54. > :46:57.moment, towards the other major hotel, the iconic hotel, the one
:46:58. > :47:04.that looks like a sail. It was going to follow piece by piece, all the
:47:05. > :47:08.way up the coast and so this is of course, a major day for Dubai,
:47:09. > :47:16.clearly they are happy to go ahead, but it is, it is something of a real
:47:17. > :47:19.issue, that even if no lives, fortunately, they may or may not be
:47:20. > :47:26.lost. It is about safety and security of thesed byings. Nine
:47:27. > :47:34.monthsing a I was covering for the BBC another, tower fire hire which
:47:35. > :47:37.engulfed some 20, 30 storey, the Dubai Torch Tower. Fortunately
:47:38. > :47:42.nobody was injured or killed in that one, but I think seriously questions
:47:43. > :47:47.will be asked about these kinds of events, these kinds of disasters,
:47:48. > :47:59.and how they can improve safety and security in such large towers.
:48:00. > :48:08.We are showing the live pictures, we can see from those, that the flames
:48:09. > :48:12.are far fewer, the scale of the blaze appear to have been brought
:48:13. > :48:16.back. I am going to bring in Nina, who has been following this. Nina,
:48:17. > :48:20.since we first heard about the smoke coming up, the outbreak of this
:48:21. > :48:24.blaze, we know they have been working from the first moments to
:48:25. > :48:28.get this under control. Yes, that is a leaf, seeing those pictures, what
:48:29. > :48:32.was frightening was the speed with which it appeared to spread. It
:48:33. > :48:37.started out as a tiny puff of smoke on the right-hand side of the
:48:38. > :48:41.building, but it spread rapidly over 20 or so storeys and within 10, 15
:48:42. > :48:44.minutes of seeing the flames we were seeing on Twitter pictures from
:48:45. > :48:50.eyewitnesses saying that debris that was still lit, still on fire was
:48:51. > :48:55.falling on and round them. We know about this building, there will be
:48:56. > :48:59.lots of people in therement not just holiday-makers but residents who
:49:00. > :49:05.live there. It is central. It is near the Burj Lhalifa, the tallest
:49:06. > :49:08.sky scraper in the world, there will have been thousands in that area to
:49:09. > :49:10.see the fireworks which was due to start in round 70 minutes or so.
:49:11. > :49:14.Conflicting ereports as to whether Conflicting ereports as to whether
:49:15. > :49:18.not that display will go ahead. The official story is yes, it will go
:49:19. > :49:20.ahead, as expected for the crowds, but you wonder whether that can
:49:21. > :49:23.happen, and what the scene is like happen, and what the
:49:24. > :49:26.on the ground. Certainly eyewitnesses we have heard from at
:49:27. > :49:30.the BBC and we have heard from four or five now, have all said it does
:49:31. > :49:36.feel like it is under control. They feel safe. It has been scary but
:49:37. > :49:41.they say emergency services have reacted well. Est will us get the
:49:42. > :49:50.late paste in fact from the ground. -- latest in fact from the ground.
:49:51. > :49:56.Are you able to see what is happening? The flames are still
:49:57. > :50:00.taking hold of part of this hotel we see. Yes. Hello. Yes, there are
:50:01. > :50:08.still plenty of flames round the hotel. I am in on a apartment on a
:50:09. > :50:13.road, one of the busiest roads in Dubai. It is packed with traffic,
:50:14. > :50:18.all you can see is little blue flashing lights trying to get
:50:19. > :50:23.through. They are the emergency services trying to get to the hotel
:50:24. > :50:29.next to the Burj Lhalifa. It is chaos, they had originally blocked
:50:30. > :50:34.the roads in order to allow the flow of traffic, round Dubai city.
:50:35. > :50:39.However know, all -- now, all this traffic has blocked off, the miles
:50:40. > :50:42.and miles back, and has caused the emergency services not to be able to
:50:43. > :50:47.get to the hotel as quick as they would like to. There is black smoke
:50:48. > :50:52.covering the city as we speak as well, which is causing a bit of
:50:53. > :50:57.distress to people who aren't actually round the scene, but
:50:58. > :51:05.obviously people who are watching the news and praying no-one is
:51:06. > :51:09.injured or hurt. We heard earlier from civil defence official speaking
:51:10. > :51:15.on a TV channel saying there had been no injuries but obviously fire
:51:16. > :51:19.still very much there in the address hotel company 2 it will have been
:51:20. > :51:25.packed, I suppose, because one of the key addresses, for what promised
:51:26. > :51:28.to be a spectacular night. Yes. I mean, in terms of that report saying
:51:29. > :51:35.that there is no injuriesers I find that hard to believe. I mean, after
:51:36. > :51:40.looking at such blazes and knowing how busy that hotel really would
:51:41. > :51:45.have been, at this time. I is inner year, probably one of the biggest
:51:46. > :51:48.hotels apart from the Burj Lhalifa round the down town Dubai area, and
:51:49. > :51:52.I just know that you know, there would have been a lot people there.
:51:53. > :51:56.People are saying no injuries, that is not saying no deaths at this
:51:57. > :52:01.time, which is distressing for a lot of people here in Dubai and people
:52:02. > :52:08.watching on the BBC News. You were talking about the streets
:52:09. > :52:11.round you being choked with cars, presumably some emergency services
:52:12. > :52:17.trying to get to the scene, others trying to get out. Have people
:52:18. > :52:21.stayed fairly calm round you?. I think initially at the scene it was
:52:22. > :52:26.dispressing -- distressing, people seeing the blaze and the black
:52:27. > :52:31.smoke. Now people are slightly calmer and hoping that you know,
:52:32. > :52:35.people inside the building are safe. That is the general feeling round
:52:36. > :52:41.here in Dubai. Parties are still going aahead in terms of New Year,
:52:42. > :52:45.it was going to be a spectacular display, now they will put that on
:52:46. > :52:50.hold. I don't think it is the right time to celebrate the New Year, but
:52:51. > :52:54.the mood I think is a lot calmer than it only was. It has been over
:52:55. > :53:00.an hour since this blaze has been going, let us hope the emergency
:53:01. > :53:09.services can snake their way through the busy traffic and get to the
:53:10. > :53:14.Address Hotel We saw a tweet from the Dubai media office saying New
:53:15. > :53:20.Year celebration will continue as scheduled. Well, that comes can as a
:53:21. > :53:24.shock to me that the celebrations will continue as scheduled. I am
:53:25. > :53:29.surprised the Dubai authority will let that go ahead. It is a
:53:30. > :53:33.devastating, that is happening, whatever has caused it, so, whether
:53:34. > :53:37.they are going to let, let that go ahead we will find out in due
:53:38. > :53:40.course, I think it is just over an hour's time until midnight, so it
:53:41. > :53:43.will be interesting to see whether the fireworks will go ahead. I
:53:44. > :53:48.believe it wouldn't be the right thing to do, until they find out
:53:49. > :53:52.exactly what has happened here, to celebrate town 16, but we will see
:53:53. > :53:58.in over an hour's time. Stay with us. I want to get more from you, I
:53:59. > :54:03.want to remind viewers on BBC News here in the UK, and round the world,
:54:04. > :54:08.that we are following this developing story of a huge fire in a
:54:09. > :54:11.luxury hotel in the heart of Dubai, near the Burj Lhalifa, the Burj
:54:12. > :54:19.Lhalifa Burj Lhalifa area was due to be the centre. The focus of New
:54:20. > :54:28.Year's celebrations in just over an hour's time in Dubai. On the phone
:54:29. > :54:32.Inzi Rashid who is a journalist on holiday. There were meant to be
:54:33. > :54:36.three fireworks displays there. There. Dubai prides itself on the
:54:37. > :54:41.bigger better fireworks This was going to be one of the biggest
:54:42. > :54:46.firework displays that Dubai has put on, you know, for the whole world,
:54:47. > :54:51.to witness. There was an expected over two million people to be in
:54:52. > :54:55.Dubai for these events. It was going to be a fireworks display lasting
:54:56. > :55:01.over 20 minutes, starting at the Burj Lhalifa, then move round the
:55:02. > :55:05.city and eventually end up, I believe at the beach resort. Whether
:55:06. > :55:10.they will carry on with their display, again I am not sure, but it
:55:11. > :55:15.was going to be a spectacular display, I am afraid the only fires
:55:16. > :55:24.is on the Address Hotel which aren't positive. Stay with us. I want to
:55:25. > :55:29.get a few thoughts from Nina. We have heard from a few eyewitnesses
:55:30. > :55:35.talking about how quickly this took hold, even though the pictures we no
:55:36. > :55:38.the flames are being doused to scene extent, but this developed rapidly.
:55:39. > :55:42.When you think about the fact there will have been thousands of people
:55:43. > :55:47.on the ground n the area, gathered for what we have heard would have
:55:48. > :55:52.been a 20 minute firework display, and so in a way they have we have
:55:53. > :55:57.incredibly detailed eyewitness accounts of it spreading. One lady
:55:58. > :56:01.said we saw a small plume of smoke and suddenly the entire level was
:56:02. > :56:05.engulfed and it spread higher and higher. After half an hour we saw it
:56:06. > :56:09.going lower and lower down the building. Incredibly the lights on
:56:10. > :56:13.the tower seem to have stayed on, one would have hoped that people
:56:14. > :56:19.trying to escape have been able to do so safely and largely -- calmly.
:56:20. > :56:23.At the moment reports say they have been any casualties and we hope that
:56:24. > :56:29.that is the case. We hope no casualties are confirmed from all of
:56:30. > :56:33.the eyeness withes we have heard of, they said there were lots of
:56:34. > :56:38.emergency services on site because of the celebration, in fact we heard
:56:39. > :56:43.from one eyewitness people were being turned away. So they were in a
:56:44. > :56:48.position to start evacuating people from the area, so everybody we have
:56:49. > :56:51.heard from has praised emergency services, the pictures we are seeing
:56:52. > :56:56.are from roughly half an hour ago and the fire has been contained
:56:57. > :57:01.better than the pictures suggest. Of course, thoughts are turning to the
:57:02. > :57:04.cause and some speculation about whether the fireworks themselves
:57:05. > :57:08.have been linked. There is no official line on that. People on the
:57:09. > :57:14.ground said there was security to get closes to the site of the Burj
:57:15. > :57:19.Lhalifa, opposite the Address Hotel so people a bit tense any way,
:57:20. > :57:28.worrying about terror attack, there is no implication as to what the
:57:29. > :57:34.causes are, we don't know yet. Thank you so up many for joining us Inzi,
:57:35. > :57:39.able to keep us up-to-date there, we appreciate your time, and one of the
:57:40. > :57:43.things we have heard from him whereas the flames you are seeing
:57:44. > :57:47.are beginning to be brought under control, have been doused to some
:57:48. > :57:51.extent, there is a lot of thick black smoke in which of course there
:57:52. > :57:54.have been thousands of people waiting for the fireworks display,
:57:55. > :58:16.which the authorities may still want to be holding in about an hour's
:58:17. > :58:20.time. An band of showery rain continues to go eastwards. I leaves
:58:21. > :58:23.a trail of showers an some of them wintry, to parts of Northern Ireland
:58:24. > :58:27.and northern Scotland. Particularly above 200 metre for elsewhere, it
:58:28. > :58:31.will be a chilly night but I suspect for many of the firework displays it
:58:32. > :58:37.won't be disappointing. In terms of the feel of things you will need to
:58:38. > :58:40.wrap up warm, hovering above freezing in towns and city centres
:58:41. > :58:44.but just below rural spots and that could lead to a frost. Hopefully
:58:45. > :58:48.early morning sunshine if you are up early enough because the cloud will
:58:49. > :58:51.gather and rain will start to push into the south-west by the end of
:58:52. > :58:55.the day. It will be a windy as well, that will take the edge off the feel
:58:56. > :58:59.of thing, top temperatures to the north of four to six degree, further
:59:00. > :59:04.south we are looking at round seven to 11, so a cooler feel in general.
:59:05. > :59:05.The winds remain a feature, there is more rain to come I am afraid for
:59:06. > :59:08.many.