A fire in a residential building in Dubai killed 16 people and injured nine others, according to the government on Sunday.
The fire started around midday Saturday on the fourth floor of the building in the Al-Ras neighborhood of the city’s old quarter.
According to the government’s media office, preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by a “lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements.”
Firefighting teams were at the blaze within six minutes of being notified, it added.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, has a population of around 3.3 million, of whom almost 90 percent are foreigners.
The nationality of the victims has not been revealed.
The city has experienced spectacular fires in the past, causing extensive damage but few casualties.
In 2017, the authorities announced the adoption of stricter building regulations to minimise the risk of fire, attributed mainly to flammable materials used in the exterior cladding of buildings.