Dubai Police are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out in the Atlantis Hotel in Palm Jumeirah earlier this morning. Investigators believe the fire initially began after workers were carrying out work in the lobby while welding. "We are investigating the matter and will know more later but it was only a small fire," said Brig Abdul Jalil Mahdi, deputy director of Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for Preventative Security. Firemen rushed to the scene this morning and struggled for at least an hour before the blaze was controlled. The hotel was immediately evacuated and no casualties have been reported in the incident.
Meanwhile, motorists heading to work described seeing thick clouds of smoke billowing from the hotel. The road heading to the hotel was also blocked out by the police, a witness said. A statement issued by The Atlantis, The Palm, said it was unsure of the extent of the damage. It also said: "The site of the fire appears to be localized in the lobby area of the resort." @Email:pmenon@thenational.ae @Email:eharnan@thenational.ae Were you at the scene of the fire? Did you take photos? Send us your photos by email at yourphotos@thenational.ae
