The owners and tenants living in apartments of the fire-hit Address Downtown Hotel are eagerly waiting to visit their homes.

The Dubai government and Emaar Properties have temporarily put them up in luxury hotels in Dubai such as the Atlantis St. Regis Vida Downtown Taj Dubai etc.

"It is great that they have given us accommodation and we are getting breakfast lunch and dinner. We won't see this if we are in some other country" said Akram Assi a Lebanese businessman whose apartment is on the 34th floor of the Address.

Now housed in Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa Akram can see the burnt side of the Address. "The fire has destroyed the side where my apartment is. I don't know if there is anything left in my apartment."

World watched as fire raged but tenants unaware Dubai - When the world was watching the Address Downtown Hotel fire just a couple of hours ahead of the New Year fireworks at the Burj Khalifa most residents of the hotel were unaware that their building was on fire.

The owners and tenants living in the apartments in the Address have recounted how oblivious most of them were to the blaze spreading outside.

They told Khaleej Times family and friends called or messaged them from different parts of the world to alert them about the fire in their hotel building.

Syrian mother Janam said she got calls from the US Cairo London Paris and Italy about the fire.

"I was out in the beauty salon ... My daughter was at home with my uncle who came down from Abu Dhabi with his wife and six-month-old baby to watch the fireworks from my place.

"When I called them they said nothing was wrong" said Janam.

She said she advised them to quickly leave home since she was briefed about the fire by friends from outside. "I couldn't get back home as the Downtown roads were closed. I kept calling them and crying. I don't want to remember that night. I just thank God that they all came down safe."

Luigi an Italian who lived on the 44th floor said: "I escaped from my apartment because I got a message from my friend in Italy.

"He told me about the fire and asked me to switch on the TV to see it. We went out to see what was going on ... When we went to the stairs we saw people rushing down in panic."

Mohammed Kutty an Indian businessman-cum-actor in Malayalam movies said residents are waiting to go back home and take stock of the situation.

"We fled without carrying anything with us. In just one hour all millionaires were out on the street with nothing in our hands. All our valuables and documentation of our properties are inside our homes."

He said the tragedy brought people together and they forgot their differences and mingled freely. "There were people from different countries with different statuses. But ... we were all in the same situation and that (helped us) ... bond."

James Chaib a real estate professional from Scotland said his family - including his mother and sister - was evacuated from the neighbouring Al Tajer Residence. "All the debris from the Address was falling onto Al Tajer garden and apartments facing that side. So we were asked to leave."

Meanwhile the authorities allowed several guests living in the hotel rooms in the Address to collect their luggage and leave. The hotel rooms were completely occupied by tourists and residents for the New Year celebrations. Many were scheduled to fly back after the New Year bash.

Sajila Saseendran