Dubai apartment block fire kills 16

A fire in a residential building in Dubai has killed 16 people and injured nine others, the Gulf emirate's government said on Sunday.

The fire broke out at midday on Saturday on the fourth floor of the building in the Al-Ras neighbourhood in the old part of the city.

The civil defence force said preliminary investigations showed the fire was caused by a "lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements", the government's media office said in a statement.

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 per cent are foreigners.

The nationalities of the victims have not been revealed officially, but local media reports said four Indians, three Pakistanis, one Cameroonian, one Sudanese and one West African were among the dead.

Thousands of workers, mostly from Asia and Africa, live in the Al-Ras area, with up to 15 people sometimes living in apartments in low-rise buildings.

The neighbourhood, close to the traditional gold and spice markets, is in the Deira district, and is also known for its bustling streets and historic landmarks.

On Sunday, entrances to the building where the fire took place were sealed off by police with yellow tape.

Dubai city has experienced spectacular fires in the past, with extensive damage caused but few casualties.

In 2017, the authorities announced the adoption of stricter construction regulations to minimise the risk of fire, attributed mainly to flammable materials used in the exterior cladding of buildings.