Saturday 21 February 2015 5:20 am

Huge fire engulfs Dubai’s Torch tower

The Torch skyscraper in Dubai was engulfed in flames last night, as a fire ripped through what is one of the tallest residential buildings in the world.

Eyewitnesses described the fire spreading over as many as sixty floors before it was quelled.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the 79-storey skyscraper and nearby buildings after the fire alarm first sounded at around 2AM.

High winds in the area fanned the flames which sent chunks of glass and metal tumbling down onto nearby streets, according to eyewitness testimony.

The Torch skyscraper, the 32nd tallest in the world, is located in the emirate's Marina district, a densely populated area of multiple high-rise residential buildings and home to thousands of expatriate workers.

Fire crews worked through the night to combat the blaze, before cleanup crews were sent to the scene to clear up the debris covering the streets around the building.

Civil defence officials have not yet reported any casualties, but at least four people are said to have minor injuries according to Dubai's police chief Khamis Mattar.