Fire hits Dubai's Palm Island

DUBAI: A large fire broke out on Sunday at a construction site on a giant man-made palm-shaped island off the coast of the booming emirates of Dubai.

Smoke billowed over buildings along the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah Island and was visible from far away, while fire engines rushed to cross the bridge linking the island to the mainland. 

An engineer who worked on the site said that the fire erupted in the basement of a nine-storey-building, pointing out that it was still raging and creating a 'pretty toxic smell'.

Although he confirmed that all engineers had been accounted for, he could not confirm that all workers were out of the building, saying that the contracting company was still counting its workers.

He said that construction was at the stage of 'primary ducting and piping'.

Palm Jumeirah is one of three large man-made islands being constructed off the coast of Dubai.

Property owners have already moved into some of the buildings.   

In January, two Asian workers were killed and 57 others wounded in a similar fire which erupted in an under-construction tower.

Similar accidents have prompted Dubai police to impose strict safety regulations on construction sites.

Dubai, a member of the seven-strong United Arab Emirates, is in the midst of a drive to establish itself as the Gulf's business and leisure hub.