Dubai's Burj unexpectedly closed to the public

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I live next door in Muscat. According to people I know in Dubai, the problem isn't just a simple glitch. There's something seriously wrong with the elevators (lifts); maybe it's mechanical, maybe it's the software. Anyway, what happened on the day of the closure was that a group of tourists were in one of the lifts when it dropped several floors (The rumors about just how many vary wildly.). They managed to get everyone out of the car, but there were some minor injuries. Anyway, the others who were up on the observation deck were very carefully brought down and the tower was closed to the public immediately. No one is quite sure when it'll reopen, but the trouble is being viewed as symbolic of Dubai's wider financial and ethical problems.

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