Dubai’s 79-floor Marina Torch, which was the tallest residential building in the world when it opened in 2011, has erupted in flames in the middle of the night. The cause wasn’t clear. Gulf News reported that debris, including melted glass, was falling to the ground from on high, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Since opening, the Marina Torch has been surpassed in height by several other buildings in Dubai and one in New York. Nevertheless, it remains an icon of wealth and development in the Middle East.