Stuck on the 48th floor: Photographer’s close shave in Dubai hotel blaze
Dubai (CNN) – Photographer Dennis Mallari’s assignment to shoot the New Year’s Eve fireworks was going fine until his vantage point started to go up in flames.
The 37-year-old Filipino was on the 48th floor of a luxury Dubai hotel looking out at the city’s skyline that’s crowned by the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Around 9:30 p.m., a fire broke out 28 floors below Mallari at the Address Downtown Dubai hotel, according to authorities.
He found himself stuck on the balcony, a great spot for photography but not for an easy escape. As flames licked the outside of the building, smoke quickly filled many of the hotel’s 63 floors, blocking off his potential exits.
