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The fire started on the 25th floor early on Saturday morning.
Some 120 people were evacuated from the scene, but no deaths or injuries have been reported, the Emergency Situations Ministry's official representative Ruslan Imankulov told RIA Novosti.
The fire was localized some four hours after emergency crew were dispatched.
Diesel heat generators actually caused the spectacular blaze, according to Imankulov. An earlier theory blaming a gas cylinder explosion was not confirmed.
Dozens of firefighters in nearly 20 vehicles have rushed to the scene. Several firefighting units are battling the blaze, struggling to get the fire under control, and at least 60 first responders have been deployed, RIA Novosti reported.
Witnesses have started posting footage of the blaze online. Periscope user Erzhan Bazarov has been streaming a video from the scene, passing his device from hand to hand and even driving around the scene to get a better view - and avoid being hit by falling debris.
Bazarov and others can be heard saying in Russian that the building is about to "fall apart."
There has been no information on killed or injured victims from the blaze as of yet.
Abu Dhabi Plaza has been under construction since 2010 and was planned to be completed in 2016. With its tower of over 380 meters, Abu Dhabi Plaza was supposed to become the highest building in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
although it's too early to tell yet. First of all such installations are guarded 24/7. On paragraph 5 of the report by RT there's a mistake. The diesel heat generators are actually diesel light producing generators that are being used as "guards" in such freezing temperatures. Diesel heat generators are being used only after the completion of the building and they certainly wouldn't be used in this part of the world. A gas cylinder explosion could have triggered the fired but according to RT the news haven't been confirmed.
What makes the whole thing suspicious and it would most certainly make it a sabotage is that the "accident" happened at the year of its completion namely 2016. If you wanted to destroy something you would do it when it would be nearly over not when it started.