DUBAI // A faulty lift was revealed yesterday as a possible cause of the closure of the world's tallest building to visitors.
A lift in the Burj Khalifa became stuck between floors on Saturday and the occupants were rescued unharmed, according to Abu Naseer, a spokesman for the Dubai Civil Defence. The public viewing area on the 124th floor has been closed since then.
"There was an emergency on Saturday evening and 15 people were rescued when the lift got stuck between floor 124 and 125. It was opened halfway and we had them rescued within 30 minutes," said Mr Naseer.
"There was no smoke or fire or anything like that. It was very simple."
News reports have quoted people who said they heard a bang and saw dust coming out of one of the elevator shafts.
The operator of the 828-metre tower, Emaar, would not confirm an incident involving the lift yesterday and neither would the lift contractor, Otis. It is the second reported lift problem since the tower opened last month.
The At The Top observation deck was closed to the public until further notice on Sunday, little more than a month after it opened. Emaar blamed problems with the power supply for its sudden closure.
Some ticket holders have been told by staff at the tower that it would reopen next Sunday and that they had the option to rebook their visits or claim a refund. Emaar, however, has not confirmed this.
Visitors to the building's website, www.burjkhalifa.ae, are being told: "Please be advised that online tickets to At the Top are temporarily on hold due to maintenance at the attraction."
The faulty lift is one of 57 elevators in the tower that travel at a record-breaking 10 metres per second. Emaar has said the lifts have a capacity of 12 to 14 people.
At the centre of Burj Khalifa's core is the main elevator, which has the world's tallest shaft at 504 metres. More than 75,000 workers from Otis were involved in the installation of the elevators and escalators in the tower.
Five days after Burj Khalifa's official opening on January 4, 14 people got stuck in one of the elevators for an hour.
eharnan@thenational.ae
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SPECS
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U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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