UAE skyscraper fires
© AFPFire engulfs a tower at a residential cluster in Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, March 28, 2016.
A massive fire has ripped through at least two residential buildings in the Swan area of the Persian Gulf city of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. According to local media, citing emergency services, the fire has been brought "under control."

Social media users posted images and footage of the fire late Monday showing bright yellow flames engulfing a building with chunks of burning debris falling to the ground. There have been no reports of casualties so far. Local media reports that residents are being evacuated to safety.


Brigadier Saleh Saeed Al Matroushi, Director of Ajman Civil Defence, told Gulf News that Civil Defence teams are working to put out the flames. After hours of battling the blaze, the fire has been brought "under control." The news outlet also reports that traffic on adjacent roads had virtually ground to a halt, as the area has been cordoned off.

The Ajman One residential cluster consists of 12 towers. Reports suggest the fire mainly damaged Tower 8, but this has not been confirmed by officials.

The operations room received a call about the fire at 9:45pm local time. Civil Defence, rescue and ambulance teams immediately rushed to the scene. The police have also deployed helicopters to monitor the fire.