By Patrick Kulp from Mashable

Dubai’s Marina Torch, one of the world’s tallest apartment buildings, caught fire Friday night, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate as flames crawled up the sides of the 79-floor skyscraper.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but Gulf News reported that the blaze was made worse by strong gusts of wind. The outlet reported that fiery pieces of debris and glass were raining down from the blaze. The Dubai Civil Defense confirmed to CNN that there were no injuries or deaths.

A Marina Torch resident told ABC News that residents believed the fire started on the 51st floor. Local reports indicate that the fire broke out at around 2 a.m. local time, and CNN reported that it was put out about three hours later.

Residents of at least one neighboring building were also evacuated out of fear that the strong winds might spread the fire, but they were later allowed to return.

The tower is located in Dubai’s densely populated Marina District, which is home to dozens of similar high-rise hotels and apartment buildings that are popular with expatriate professionals.

This story is developing…

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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