Emirati officials say fire strikes site of Dubai's Expo 2020

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fire struck the site of Dubai's Expo 2020 on Monday, though Emirati officials said no one was injured.

The blaze saw thick black smoke rise over the site of the world's fair in the southern edge of Dubai, one of seven sheikhdoms in the United Arab Emirates.

Officials said in a statement the fire began in a pile of “construction debris” and was later extinguished. They did not immediately offer further details.

Earlier this month, a Paris-based body behind the events said that Expo 2020 world’s fair would be postponed to Oct. 1, 2021, over the new coronavirus pandemic. Dubai has bet billions of dollars on Expo 2020 to rejuvenate its troubled economy.