Fire at Dubai's man-made Palm island wounds three

DUBAI, May 6 (Reuters) A fire broke out on Dubai's man-made Palm island development today, wounded three people and charred two unfinished buildings following an apparent electrical fault.

Two multi-storey car park buildings were gutted by the fire on the luxury development, and bellowing clouds of black smoke could be seen from kilometres away.

Rescue workers at the scene said three people were receiving treatment but did not give further details. Firefighters said the fire was believed to be the result of an electrical mishap.

The blaze appeared to have been extinguished within two hours.

The island's developer Nakheel said in a statement that one person was taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation, adding that the fire erupted in a building developed by another firm.

Government-owned Nakheel says the Palm, which juts into the shallow waters of the Gulf in the shape of palm fronds, was built using 100 million cubic metres of sand and rock, and is large enough to be seen from space.

It is one of several major projects launched by Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates federation, to boost its status as a tourism and business hub.

Most of the buildings on the island are still under construction and yet to be delivered to their affluent owners.

REUTERS SM RAI2056