Fire investigation at the world’s tallest climbing wall on Yas Island
Civil defence is investigating the cause of a fire at the building site on Yas Island of the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall and widest flight chamber.
Two cranes blackened by the blaze at Clymb still stand above the partly built diagonal cube, which is linked to Yas Mall.
It is not known whether the fire will delay the project’s planned opening this year.
A spokesman for Miral, the developer behind the US$100 million (Dh367.2m) project, said no one was injured in the incident, which was “immediately contained”.
“The relevant Abu Dhabi authorities, with whom we continue to work closely to investigate the cause, supported us in containing the incident,” the spokesman said.
He said that the developer’s top priority was the safety and security of its teams and the health and safety procedures in place.
“The incident has not affected the dedication of our teams in delivering this new sporting facility to the Yas Island portfolio of immersive attractions, and we look forward to announcing the opening date and more information in due course.”
The 43-metre-tall climbing section will feature spaces for beginners, intermediate and expert climbers.
There will be four walls with varying levels of difficulty but only the expert wall will reach the full 43 metres.
The flight chamber has been designed to mimic the experience of skydiving and will be 9.75 metres wide, making it the world’s largest.
The attraction will also feature shops, food and beverage outlets and a space for parties.
The project was 35 per cent complete when it was announced in late 2016.
It is not known how advanced construction was at the time of the fire on March 14, although the major structure and some panels appear to be in place.
Clymb is one of two major entertainment attractions that were to launch on Yas Island this year.
The second, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, a $1 billion theme park with 29 rides, will open on July 25, the group announced this week.
Miral, the developer behind the $100m project, said no one was injured in the fire, which was immediately contained