Sixteen people were killed and nine injured yesterday, Holy Saturday, in a fire at a Dubai apartment building in an upscale district of the wealthy Gulf emirate, local media reported.

The fire broke out in the middle of the day on the fourth floor of a building in Al-Ras, one of the city’s old districts, where mostly foreign workers live.

“The first investigations show that the faulty observance of the safety rules of the building” is the cause of the fire, according to a statement from the Civil Protection.

The nationalities of the victims were not released.

Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, has approximately 3.3 million residents, 90% of whom are foreigners.

“The competent authorities are conducting a thorough investigation in order to compile a detailed report on the causes of the accident,” the statement said, according to local media.

The city has experienced major fires in the past, causing significant damage but no casualties.

In 2017, the authorities announced the adoption of a stricter building regulation in order to limit the risk of fire, mainly linked to the flammable materials used to cover the exterior of buildings.