[wvns] Man leaps off world's tallest tower
According to reports, the man jumped following a dispute with his company
Man leaps to his death off world's tallest tower
5/10/2011
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42974410/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/?GT1=43001
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A man threw himself off the world's tallest building in Dubai, its developer said, plummeting to his death in the first suicide from Burj Khalifa tower.
Emaar Properties, the owner of the towering structure, said in a brief statement that "an incident involving a male" was reported at the tower's site at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.
"The concerned authorities have confirmed that it was a suicide, and we are awaiting the final report," Emaar's statement also said. It did not elaborate further.
Local reports quoted security officials as saying the man fell from the 147th floor of the 2,717 foot-tall tower and landed on a deck on the 108th floor.
Reports on the websites of the Gulf News and 7 Days newspapers say the man — who is believed to be in his twenties and of South Asian background — jumped following a dispute with his company. Police said statements from co-workers indicated that his vacation request had been turned down.
Police did not immediately reply to calls by The Associated Press for further details.
According to Emaar, the skyscraper has 160 habitable stories. An observation deck is located on the 124th floor and a restaurant — billed as the highest in the world — is located just two floors bellow.
The tower was designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which has a long track record engineering some of the world's tallest buildings, including Chicago's Willis Tower, the tallest in the U.S. formerly known as the Sears Tower.
Burj Khalifa ranks not only as the highest building but also as the tallest freestanding structure in the world, according to its developer.
In March, a French skyscraper climber successfully climbed the tapering metal and glass tower in downtown Dubai in six hours. The 48-year-old climber, Alain Robert, used a rope and harness to comply with organizers' requirements in the Gulf sheikdom.
Late last year, actor Tom Cruise was seen dangling from the Burj during stunt filming for the latest installment of the "Mission: Impossible" series.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
===
Burj Khalifa suicide jump confirmed by police
Awad Mustafa and Preeti Kannan
May 11, 2011
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/burj-khalifa-suicide-jump-confirmed-by-police
DUBAI // A man jumped to his death from the 147th floor of the
world's tallest tower this afternoon in the first recorded suicide since the building was completed last year.
The man, believed to be in his 30s and of an Asian nationality,
jumped from an air vent and landed on a terrace at the tower's 108th
floor, police said. An expert on the tower's design suggested the man
may have jumped from the 148th floor, where there is a small deck.
"The police operations room received a call about a suicide at the
Burj Khalifa today, and CID and investigation teams were immediately
dispatched," Dubai Police said in a statement.
After he jumped, the man hit the metal barriers of the tower, causing some damage the the structure before landing.
Investigations showed the man worked at a company inside the Burj.
Police said statements showed that the man had requested a holiday but it was refused.
According to Emaar Properties, the Burj's developer, floors 45 to 108 are private residences, with most of the remaining floors used as
corporate suites. The public observatory is on the 124th floor, and the restaurant Atmosphere on floor 122.
There seemed to be some confusion over the details of the fall this
evening. Police said the man landed on a balcony on the 108th floor.
However, Adam Sarani, a Better Homes consultant who specialises in the tower, said that particular floor did not have balconies, and that he was more likely to have fallen onto the At the Top observatory on the 124th floor. A customer service representative at the observatory said at 6pm it was closed "for maintenance".
Purported photos of the impact site were circulating on social media sites this afternoon.
In a statement Emaar Properties, said the incident occurred earlier in the day.
"At around 9am, an incident involving a male was reported at the Burj
Khalifa site. The concerned authorities have confirmed that it was a
suicide, and we are awaiting the final report."
Police are continuing to investigate.
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