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British man carries mother from scenes of 'pandemonium' in burning Dubai hotel Dubai hotel fire: Remarkable escape as British man carries mother from Dubai inferno
(35 minutes later)
A British man has described how he was forced to carry his mother from a burning Dubai hotel amid scenes of "absolute pandemonium".A British man has described how he was forced to carry his mother from a burning Dubai hotel amid scenes of "absolute pandemonium".
Angua Villar was alerted to the fire, which broke out at around 9:30pm on Thursday at the Address Downtown hotel, by his father who saw flames on a balcony while the family were having champagne on the 15th floor.Angua Villar was alerted to the fire, which broke out at around 9:30pm on Thursday at the Address Downtown hotel, by his father who saw flames on a balcony while the family were having champagne on the 15th floor.
Mr Villar told Sky News: "I went out on the balcony and saw that the room next door to us was completely on fire.Mr Villar told Sky News: "I went out on the balcony and saw that the room next door to us was completely on fire.
"We got to the fire escape before the fire alarm had gone off at which point there were already people running into the corridors and panicking."We got to the fire escape before the fire alarm had gone off at which point there were already people running into the corridors and panicking.
"It was basically absolute pandemonium."It was basically absolute pandemonium.
"You'd expect people to let women and children go first, but it was pretty much people shoving each other down the stairs and climbing over each other.""You'd expect people to let women and children go first, but it was pretty much people shoving each other down the stairs and climbing over each other."
Mr Villar said he carried his mother, who uses a wheel chair, down the stairs of the hotel by strapping her to his back.Mr Villar said he carried his mother, who uses a wheel chair, down the stairs of the hotel by strapping her to his back.
He raised concerns that the fire alarm did not go off until the building was “properly on fire”.He raised concerns that the fire alarm did not go off until the building was “properly on fire”.
The fire began as an estimated million people prepared to ring in the New Year and, even as the tower continued to burn, the famed fireworks display went ahead as planned at midnight. The fire began as an estimated million people prepared to ring in the New Year at the city's famed fireworks display, which went ahead as planned at midnight even as the tower continued to burn.
At least 14 people were slightly injured, and one person suffered a heart attack from the smoke and over-crowding during an evacuation from the blaze, according to the Dubai Media Office. Astonishingly it appears no one has been killed in the blaze. At least 14 people were slightly injured, and one person suffered a heart attack from the smoke and over-crowding during an evacuation from the blaze, according to the Dubai Media Office.
The statement said another person was moderately injured. No children were among those injured, it added.The statement said another person was moderately injured. No children were among those injured, it added.
The cause of the fire still remains unclear.The cause of the fire still remains unclear.
The Address hotel is the sixth-tallest building in the city, with 63 floors at 991 feet tall. It has nearly 200 rooms and over 600 apartments.The Address hotel is the sixth-tallest building in the city, with 63 floors at 991 feet tall. It has nearly 200 rooms and over 600 apartments.