Missile strike injures four as regional tensions sharply escalate.
Photo Credit: @chriseubankjr / Instagram
FOUR have been injured after a fire broke out due to an Iranian missile strike near a hotel on Dubai’s world-famous man-made island, The Palm on Saturday, February 28. Images of the hotel in question, the Fairmont The Palm Dubai, have been circulating on social media, showing a black plume of smoke rising from the famed hotel’s entrance. The attack happened shortly before 8:00pm Dubai local time, or shortly before 5:00pm Spain local time.
Iran’s strike on Dubai’s Fairmont The Palm: What we know
The fire, which Dubai authorities have confirmed is now under control, has injured four citizens. Videos, images, and witness accounts on social media describe the plume of black smoke rising from the hotel and ambulances rushing to the scene. The incident was followed by several loud bangs heard in the city.
The four injured in the fire have been transferred to medical facilities for emergency care. The attack has shaken the city of Dubai, which has long been recognised for its safety and prosperity.
Several airlines have cancelled their flights to Qatar, Israel and Kuwait. In total, nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of all flights to the Middle East have been cancelled due to the strikes.
Fairmont The Palm Dubai is a world-famous luxury hotel located in The Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree.
Eyewitness accounts: Bomb explosions, a massive plume of smoke, and evacuations near the hotel
Couple Tibbi and Michelle provided an eyewitness account to EWN, as they are currently staying in Dubai within viewing distance of the Fairmont The Palm Dubai. The couple had been preparing to meet a friend, Jim, who was staying a mere five minutes away from the burning hotel.
Michelle noted that from their hotel, the worry had not yet set in. “There’s no panic at the moment,” said Michelle. “Everyone just seems very calm. I don’t think people have seen what we just saw from our room.”
“I was on the phone with Jim,” continued Michelle. “Jim was running down the stairs, saying he’s getting evacuated.”
“We can hear bombs going off in the distance,” concluded Michelle.
Watch Tibbi & Michelle’s video below.
Another video circulating on Telegram shows the shocking moment the strike hit the hotel.
Attack is a retaliation to US and Israeli strikes on Iran
This Iranian missile attack follows several explosions heard in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar, after Iranian authorities warned of their retaliation to any strikes by the US and Israel.
Iranian media has reported dozens of deaths across the country due to the US-Israeli strikes, foreshadowed by months of warnings from US President Donald Trump. In an eight-minute speech, President Trump had confirmed “a major combat operation” and stated that “it’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to take it any longer.”
Dozens of casualties in the Middle East
At least 53 people have been killed at an Iranian girls’ school, and according to Tehran authorities, 15 people were killed in the Fars province, at a sports centre. An additional person has been killed due to falling debris in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
Israeli authorities claim that “several senior figures” from the Iranian regime have been “eliminated.”
Bahrain authorities have also confirmed that several residential buildings in its capital, Manama, have been targeted.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army has announced a new wave of attacks against Iran, stating it is striking missile launch sites and defence systems in the centre of the country.
Stay tuned with The viraltrendingcontent for updates on this breaking story.
