How lives were saved in Dubai’s ‘most iconic hotel’ Burj Al Arab hit in Iranian attack

It was an unthinkable scenario just days ago.

But on Saturday, one of the world’s most iconic hotels was hit in an Iranian strike hours after the US and Israel launched military action on Iran.

The Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which sits on the cost on its own private island, is recognizable to anyone who sees it.

Along with the Palm Jumeirah, the building was set ablaze as Iran launched retaliation strikes across the Middle East.

Footage showed the top of 60-storey five-star hotel, which stands on an artificial island close to Jumeirah Beach, in flames.

The building, which is the sixth-tallest hotel in the world at 321 metres high, was hit by fragments from an Iranian drone which had been intercepted.

Despite smoke pouring from the hotel, no deaths or injuries were recorded.
Stephen Ferguson helped design the fire and smoke safety systems in the hotel more than 30 years ago as one of his first ever jobs in engineering.

”The worst case scenario’

He said seeing the blaze was like watching ‘the worst case scenario you planned for come true’.

He told Metro: ‘This was the ultimate test of the designs. If you had told me 30 years ago the fire risk would have been caused by a drone strike, I would have found it hard to believe.

‘When you are testing and implementing these designs, you obviously can’t start a big fire in the hotel to see what would work, so you have to put your faith into what you have made.’

What were then considered supercomputers were used to simulate the spread of smoke, with the aim to make sure all balconies would not be covered.

Those on the top floors would also have to contend with buoyant hot air travelling upwards, as well as having the longest route to escape.

Stephen, who is now a Green Party councillor for St Neots, said: ‘We had to make sure that people will actually be able to see the exits, so we designed the air conditioning systems to suck out enough air they can pump out smoke.

‘It’s the kind of thing you hope never has to be done, but it has such a relief it seems to have worked.’

Last night two drones hit the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, with Donald Trump threatening retaliation.

A blast was heard from the embassy and black smoke was seen rising from the building on Tuesday morning, according to reports.

No injuries were reported in the strike, given the building was empty in the early morning hours.

Donald Trump has vowed revenge for the attack, telling News Nation on Monday night that ‘you’re going to find out soon’ what the retaliation would be.

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