Dubai fireworks depot blaze kills two
(Updates death toll)
DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - At least two people were killed and two injured when a fire engulfed a fireworks warehouse in Dubai on Wednesday, police said, causing an explosion and bringing parts of the city to a standstill.
Witnesses said the blaze in the Al Quoz industrial district of the Gulf trade and tourism hub sent a cloud of thick, black smoke into the sky and ash raining down.
Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the blaze, which broke out before the morning rush hour and spread to surrounding depots and workshops. Nearby schools were closed.
The fire has now been extinguished, residents said.
The official WAM news agency said the fire broke out because fireworks were being stored in an unsafe way.
Fires are common in the United Arab Emirates, which is going through a construction boom. A number of blazes broke out in industrial districts, port storage depots and on building sites last year. (Reporting by Fouad Juez and Lin Noueihed; Editing by Catherine Evans)
