 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A 63-story luxury hotel was engulfed in flames even as a massive New Year's fireworks display kicked off at the world's tallest skyscraper nearby, while tens of thousands of people whistled and cheered at early Friday's pyrotechnics. Bruce Szczepanski, who watched from the balcony of a nearby hotel, said he could still hear parts of the building crashing to the ground more than nine hours after the blaze began. The fire broke out about two hours before the midnight fireworks display was set to begin. The fire broke out Thursday in a residential building near Dubai's massive New Year's Eve fireworks... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image taken from AP video shows smoke and flames pouring from a residential building, which also contains the Address Downtown Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday evening, Dec. 31, 2015.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Smoke and flames pouring from a residential building, right, which also contains the Address Downtown Hotel, near the Burj Khalifa, centre, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday evening, Dec. 31, 2015.... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image taken from AP video shows smoke and flames pouring from a residential building, which also contains the Address Downtown Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday evening, Dec. 31, 2015.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Just minutes before the fireworks began in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, large explosions could be heard from inside the burning building, which was cloaked in thick black smoke. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Dubai hotel fire More than a dozen people sustained minor injuries, according to the Twitter account of the Dubai government's media office. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Dubai hotel fire The incident occurred near the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Dubai hotel fire Early reports said the fire started on the 20th floor. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Dubai hotel fire It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. At least 14 people were slightly injured, and one person suffered a heart attack from the smoke and over-crowding during an evacuation late Thursday, according to the Dubai Media Office. Dubai's economy depends heavily on tourism, and New Year's is one of the busiest seasons, drawing people from around the world to watch the fireworks that the emirate puts on at the world's tallest tower, as well as the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab and over a man-made palm-shaped island. It spread so quickly when it started," he said. The Dubai Media Office said that Dubai's tourism department would provide guests evacuated from the building with alternative hotel accommodation.
– Fire broke out Thursday in a hotel near the world's tallest skyscraper in Dubai, just ahead of a massive New Year's fireworks display. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which ran up at least 20 stories of the building near the landmark Burj Khalifa, which is 905 yards tall. CNN identifies the burning building as the "high-end" Address hotel. Debris rained down from the hotel as firetrucks raced to the scene. At least 14 people were "slightly injured," the AP reports, and one person had a heart attack. The fire broke out about two hours before midnight, when the nearby fireworks display was set to begin. Tens of thousands of people had gathered in the area ahead of the extravaganza, and officials in the United Arab Emirates city said the show would go on as scheduled.