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#COMPLETED: THE TORCH, 84F Res, 338m (Dubai Marina)

3M views 18K replies 486 participants last post by  Burj Khalifa fan 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Name: The Torch
Location: Dubai Marina
Floors: 84
Height: 345 m
Use: Residential

 
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#17,181 ·
If your unit is OK I would by doubtful that the insurance will cover loss of rent :dunno: but I hope it does for everyone's sake.

The problem will be for landlords who are between tenancy's or soon to be and looking to rent their unit. The fire damage and repair work could seriously put people off renting here. The best case scenario is probably cheap rents!
Afternoon Guys,

Its been a while.

I am Glad no one is hurt, I was having my morning coffee at 7.00am whilst watching sky news and nearly chocked on the morning coffee when I heard Torch tower is on fire, could not believe it :eek:hno:

Dubai_steve, My tenant is vacating the apartment in early May 2015, she is heading back to the UK, after renting my unit out for AED 100,000 a year

Exclusive-links just advertised my 1 bed apartment a few days ago at AED 115,000 a year, so I am going to be very carefully indeed about renting out the unit on the cheap, no knee jerk reaction - wait and see approach and if it stay's empty for another 3 months till august, so be it, I'll use it myself, as you know once apartments are let on the cheap, tennat's have the upper hand on screwing you for the renewal price.

I sincerely hope they can fix the interior/exterior of the building quickly as possible.

MOAF
 
#17,184 ·
From expat forum

FIRE UPDATE Dubai Civil Defence has now given a list of apts that will not be inhabitable tonight. These are as follows. All 02 and 03 units on floors 30-50 All 01 and 08 units on floors 50-84 If you are a resident in one of these apts we are trying to arrange temporary accommodation for you via the insurance company. Please make your way to the PRINCESS TOWER floor 97 to see one of the KINGFIELD members of staff and await further instructions. If you are not one of the apartments that have been affected we will try to get you back into the apartment as soon as physically possible once the lifts are working. Please make you way to the 97th floor of the Princess Tower and await further instructions. . OA Service Manager
 
#17,186 ·
http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Fire+Torch+Tower+Dubai+qefFN53L2Mql.jpg

Please have a close look at the picture. Could the missing brick from the burned out Connemara style walls lining The Torch have come close to falling on someone's head down below, and could the missing brick signify the beginning of a more general downturn? It is hardly a matter to be trivialised when you think of it.

We are really happy nobody was hurt at all but have to admit this is exceptionally good news considering the flames we saw on the news, and we wonder who will bear the cost of this in Dubai.
 
#17,187 ·
People have to be realistic about the insurance position. Very few insurance companies are proactive. They tend to try and find a way to avoid payouts.

The way I see it is that either Select dig deep to salvage their reputation while they fight the insurers for an outcome. Or the owners need to shell out, through their maintenance charges and sinking fund, for the refurb and hope to recover at a later date. The loss of rentals and/or costs of alternative accommodation will be far higher.

I said I wouldnt, but here it is from the Minutes of 2013, to allay everyones fears.

Insurance – Party All Risk and Third Party Liability Insurance. Kingfield has also secured the inclusion of rental loss to unit
owners without the additional expected increase in premium usually associated with such additions.

I went over there around 4 am, and was Talking to Everyone, there was a Great Feeling of helpfulness, the Cafe Owner had Opened up, and anyone without Money he let them have Free Drinks, Residents of Princess Tower where also Offering to Accomadate anyone that needed it, Fireman went with a Resident up the the 20th Floor, to get her Cat, (I know No Pets) and no one had a Bad Word about Kingfield, and how they Loved that Tower, so it will still be Popular when the Heat(No Pun Intended) dies down.

I am Looking at it now, and my Friends are back on the 59th Floor, not sure which Number but Pretty Close to the Action she said, and I can see Lights on at the Penthouses and even that Torchy thing on the Top is Lit up.
Good Luck to everyone that is Suffering, but it seems that Kingfield has been Pro-Active in this, and sorting it without Delay.

You will never know the Emotions that I Felt when I saw that Tower Burning.

Alan.
 
#17,188 · (Edited)
Could we please ask someone to urgently take a highly zoomed photo of each and every affected apartment to help understand what masonry and windows fell as a result of the fire?

We do not have a vested interested in The Torch now but we do need to know what is happening in Dubai so we don't make future mistakes. The situation is truly horrific for all those affected and are victims and our sympathies go to them very strongly.
 
#17,191 ·
First and foremost I am very happy no one was injured and everyone has evacuated the tower safely.
But didn't you guys notice, on a positive note, that the fire didn't really cause severe internal destruction as I would think it would by watching the fire footage? I mean because of the crazy weather and wind of last night, I thought that the fire will eat more of the tower than it did! Something was done right that's for sure.
 
#17,192 ·
Dear friends! Help! Can anyone knows about the apartment 5601? Severely burned?Thanks!!!
According to this message posted on the previous page:

Unit numbers that are potentially affected by the fire due to the location of the fire damage to the building exterior:

Floor Levels 30 to 50 the 02 and 03 units
Floor level 50 upwards the 01 and 08 units
So... well, sorry to say, but you might have been unlucky here. Depending on how well you know the tower and its surroundings, this picture might be of help:

Seems like the fire didn't spread much beyond the corner of the building, though, if that's of comfort. Although the furniture might forever smell smokey.

Sorry for any eventual losses you might have suffered.
 
#17,194 ·
According to the comments on Gulf News:
guess this answers the question about the fire alarms in select developments being fit for purpose. Sounds very similar to the garbage shute fire in the point. Truly worrying but unfortunately not at all surprising. Select group have managed to get away with dodgy fire alarms until now... Thank god nobody was killed.... But how long is it going to be until something more serious happens?? From memory there have been two fires in the point which were hushed up. Does anyone else know of fires in other select developments?
 
#17,195 ·
........................

Dubai_steve, My tenant is vacating the apartment in early May 2015, she is heading back to the UK, after renting my unit out for AED 100,000 a year

Exclusive-links just advertised my 1 bed apartment a few days ago at AED 115,000 a year, so I am going to be very carefully indeed about renting out the unit on the cheap, no knee jerk reaction - wait and see approach and if it stay's empty for another 3 months till august, so be it, I'll use it myself, as you know once apartments are let on the cheap, tennat's have the upper hand on screwing you for the renewal price.

I sincerely hope they can fix the interior/exterior of the building quickly as possible.

MOAF
It's one thing being positive but you need to manage your expectations. The building is badly damaged both cosmetically and in reputation. The pool deck should remain closed until all that loose and burnt cladding is removed from the building. There will be safety issues while the repairs are being carried out. All of these points will make finding a tenant quite difficult, let alone getting an increase.

I am surprised, after viewing the various pictures showing the cladding system hanging off the building, that they have cleared the building for reoccupation.
 
#17,196 ·
i am glad that every one in torch tower is safe, financial gain or loss can e discussed at later stage , but peoples wel being is first prioritty. I spoke to my tenent thru email and he said that thank god every one is ok, i will speak to him thru phone today and see what he has to say .
 
#17,197 ·
I am surprised, after viewing the various pictures showing the cladding system hanging off the building, that they have cleared the building for reoccupation.
I was surprised too when I spoke to many people from within the building that they were being let in as early as just after 11am yesterday. My tenant was away at some friends and was allowed back in the apartment By noon.

I guess the PR machine is also at work reading the newspapers this morning. This was on every news bultin, every channel in every country and Dubai has to respond positively somehow but I hope it's done the right way, the right investigation is carried out and legislations put in place to force the developers do the right thing and not just the bare minimal.

The lethal combination of naive inexperienced developer, shoddy contractors, poor workmanship, greed and corruption are all at work here and this will never change if this gets the normal covering up and PR you get in Dubai.

On a positive note and from a first hand experience knowledge of how poor crisis management is in the Middle East, I am pleasntly surprised, amazed and thankfull of how this was managed yesterday. This was mainly due to the civilised and responsible behaviour of most of the Torch and surrounding area inhabitants. Some of the stories are inspiring :cheers:
 
#17,200 ·
^^
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/residents-slowly-returning-to-the-torch-after-weekend-fire

Select Group reiterated its commitment to upholding strict standards for safety protocols in all of its developments. :lol:
All select building built to same standard or worse?

Silver cladding which is a feature of all, or most Select building ..will they all have to be inspected and replaced..ie the point and bay central...tones of it all over those buildings.

This developer is,nt known for there ...err shall we say generosity of spirit,and i can,t see that changing here,other than words initialy,but we all know how much thats worth!



:cheers:
 
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