Photographer films own escape from Dubai tower fire

Saturday, January 2, 2016, 11:36 AM - Dennis Borja Mallari was, like many, expecting an amazing New Year's Eve fireworks show when he set up a vantage point on the 48th floor of the luxury Address hotel in Dubai.

Unfortunately, the photojournalist got more than he expected when a fire broke out at that very hotel on New Year's Eve, leaving him far from the ground.

He posted for help on most of his social networks, and then started shooting his own ordeal as it unfolded, essentially trapped due to the dense smoke that filled the tower.

"If I go there, inside to try to go exit, I'm not going to die because of the fire ... [but] because of the smoke," he told CNN in an interview.

He told CNN he mostly started rolling the camera to keep calm as he waited for rescue.

However, as the flames spread through the building, he began to panic, and took the drastic decision to to rappel down the side of the building using a nearby window washing cable.

"I got scared. I prayed. If this is my last chance, then so be it," he said.

Luckily for Mallari, he didn't have to go through with it, as firefighters arrived to rescue him. They led him to safety down 48 flights of stairs, and he was treated for smoke inhalation, then released.

He let people who'd seen his social media cry for help know he was safe by posting a picture of himself with an oxygen mask, then went right back to shooting the scene, along with the fireworks.

It took four teams of firefighters several hours to bring the fire under control, and Dubai's media office posted video online showing the burned out scenes within the tower.

Though the blaze made for a striking sight, only 16 people were injured: 14 with minor injuries, one with 'moderate' injuries, and one person who suffered a heart attack. Some media outlets initially reported at least one person dead.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

SOURCES: CNN | BBC | Government of Dubai