Fire at apartment building in Dubai kills 16

Char marks are seen after an apartment fire in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Jon Gambrell/AP/PA)

A fire swept through an apartment building in an older neighbourhood of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing at least 16 people and injuring another nine, authorities have said.

The blaze on Saturday in the Al Murar area of Dubai’s historic Deira neighbourhood struck a five-storey apartment believed to have been shared by multiple individuals, a common practice for labourers who power the economy in this city-state known more for its towering skyscrapers.