Dubai skyscraper continues to smolder

Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

A towering inferno that engulfed a 63-story luxury hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve still smoldered through the first day of 2016 as firefighters worked to douse its embers Friday.

Authorities said they were still working to determine the cause of the fire that erupted before the city’s fireworks extravaganza and raced through the Address Downtown, one of the most upscale hotels and residences in Dubai. It came after a series of fires striking the towers that provide this megacity its futuristic skyline.

Dubai officials said only 14 people suffered minor injuries in evacuating the building late Thursday night. The Address would have a prime spot for viewing the midnight fireworks display, centered at the nearby Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

The fire started about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, racing up the sides of the building. Authorities still went ahead with the fireworks show.