Fire at world's tallest climbing wall Clymb Abu Dhabi under investigation

The attraction had been scheduled to open this year as part of efforts to establish Yas Island as a world-leading tourist destination

Abu Dhabi, UAE.  March 15, 2018. Sky Venture fire.  Smoke and Burn marks on the cranes above the Sky Venture construction located in between the Yas Mall and Ferrari World.
Victor Besa / The National
National
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Authorities are investing the cause of a fire at the construction site of what was scheduled to be the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall and widest flight chamber on Yas Island.

Two cranes, which were left blackened by the blaze at Clymb on March 14, still stand above the partially-built, multi-sided diagonal cube, which is linked to Yas Mall.

It is not known whether the completion date of the project, which was due to open this year, has been affected by the fire.

A spokesman for Miral, the developer behind the US$100 million project, said no one was injured in the incident, which was "immediately contained".

“The relevant Abu Dhabi authorities, with whom we continue to work closely to investigate the cause, supported us in containing the incident.”

The statement also stressed that Miral's top priority is the safety and security of its teams, as is stringent adherence to health and safety procedures.

“The incident has not affected the dedication of our teams in delivering this new sporting facility to the Yas Island portfolio of immersive attractions, and we look forward to announcing the opening date and more information in due course,” it said.

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The 43 metre-high climbing section of Clymb will feature spaces for beginner, intermediate and expert climbers. There will be four walls in total with varying levels of difficulty; however, only the expert wall will reach the full 43m height.

The flight chamber has been designed to mimic the experience of skydiving and will be 9.75m wide, making it the world’s largest.

The attraction will also feature a range of retailers, food and beverage outlets and a dedicated space for parties.

The project was 35 per cent complete when it was announced in late 2016. It is not known how advanced construction was at the time of the fire, although the major structure and some panels appear to be in place.

Clymb is one of two major entertainment attractions that had been due to launch on Yas Island this year. The second, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, a $1 billion theme park with 29 rides, will open on July 25, it was announced yesterday.