Hours before the start of celebrations to mark the New Year, the Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai catched fire.
Orange tentacles of flames engulfed a large section of the hotel soon after the fire started around 9:30 p.pm.
Fifteen people were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation while another suffered a heart attack.
Hours later, dark plumes of smoke billowed from the building as the fire still appeared to be searing several stories.
Dubai Dec 31, 2015.