Thick smoke rises as fire breaks out near US consulate in Dubai after drone strike

A fire broke out near the US consulate in Dubai following a drone strike on Tuesday night (3 March).

Video footage shows plumes of thick black smoke rising to the sky following the strike, which struck a parking lot adjacent to the consulate building, according to Marco Rubio.

In a statement posted online, Dubai’s media office confirmed that the fire was “successfully contained” by emergency services in about 45 minutes. No injuries were reported.

Confirming the strike, the US Secretary of State said: “All personnel are accounted for. As you're aware, we began drawing down personnel from our diplomatic facilities in advance of this.”