The minute-by-minute account

“How I experienced the mullahs’ attack”

Warnings on her cell phone and a night in the underground parking garage. "Krone" reporter Karoline Singer describes the anxious hours in Dubai.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Karoline Singer)

The tourist hotspot of Dubai was also caught up in the conflagration in the Middle East triggered by the US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. "Krone" employee Karoline Singer describes in detail the anxious hours for the vacationers. 

In the middle of the night, explosions were suddenly heard near the hotel where Singer had hoped to spend a relaxing vacation. "We were just about to go to sleep when we heard the explosions. Two minutes later, the warning signal came through on our cell phones," says the Upper Austrian.

An announcement was made over the hotel's loudspeaker system instructing everyone to go to the underground car park. Despite the situation, everything proceeded calmly and orderly, with water dispensers, benches, and armchairs provided on site. Air conditioning units were also brought in, as it was very hot in the underground car park. 

Cooks cut fruit for the evacuees
However, the next few hours passed agonizingly slowly. "You could hear the alarm messages on various cell phones over and over again. Obviously, no one had expected the impact on Dubai, because the setup was only done during the evacuation. But the hotel staff did a great job of making everything as bearable as possible." Fruit was brought in, which had been specially cut up by the chefs. 

Immer wieder Explosionen

Das Minutenprotokoll der Angriffsnacht

0.28 Uhr: Wir hören fünf Explosionen, während wir am Zimmer sind und gerade schlafen gehen wollten.

0.30 Uhr: Notfallalarm am Handy

0.50 Uhr: Durchsage im Hotel über alle Lautsprecher, dass wir uns in die Tiefgarage begeben sollen.

0.55 Uhr: Klimageräte werden gebracht, weil es in der Tiefgarage extrem heiß ist.

0.59 Uhr: Obst wird gebracht. Die Köche haben es extra aufgeschnitten.

Dazwischen hört man immer wieder die Alarmmeldungen auf diversen Handys.

Die Hotelgäste mussten den Großteil der Nacht in der Tiefgarage ausharren.(Bild: Karoline Singer, Krone KREATIV)

1.25 Uhr: Info, dass wir aufs Zimmer oder in der Tiefgarage bleiben dürfen.

1.31 Uhr: Wir dürfen doch nicht rauffahren. Es ging die Info über eine zweite Welle ein – und weil die letzte Explosion sehr nahe am Hotel war.

Laufend werden die Auflagen der Sonnenliegen für Babys und Menschen mit Beeinträchtigung gebracht.

2.30 Uhr: Eine Kaffeemaschine und Pölster werden gebracht. Einige Hotelgäste schlafen schon am Boden.

2.54 Uhr: Wir entdecken, dass die Küche mittlerweile sogar warmes Essen zubereitet und ein Buffet aufgebaut hat.

3.30 Uhr: Wir dürfen rauf. Wir entscheiden uns, aufs Zimmer zu gehen, packen aber noch einen Notfallrucksack und hoffen, dass wir nun zur Ruhe kommen. Geschlafen wird bei offenem Fenster, um gegebenenfalls die neuen Explosionen gleich zu hören.

Auch am Vormittag Explosionsgeräusche. Frühstück und weitere Mahlzeiten werden in die Innenräume verlegt. Der Strand ist menschenleer.

At half past one in the morning, we were informed that we still couldn't go back to our rooms because a second wave of missiles was on its way and the last impacts – parts of destroyed missiles or drones that had hit the ground – had been quite close to the hotel. Staff brought sun loungers and cushions to serve as makeshift beds for babies and people with disabilities. Some of the guests were already sleeping on the floor. 

"We slept with the windows open so we could hear the explosions."
At around three o'clock in the morning, there was even a buffet with hot food, and a coffee machine was set up. "A short time later, we were able to return to our room. We then packed an emergency backpack and slept with the window open so we could hear any explosions," Singer describes. Breakfast and other meals were moved indoors.

On Sunday morning, the tourists were again accompanied by the sound of explosions. "Those are probably the missiles being intercepted in the air," said Singer. The beach – where numerous tourists had witnessed the first missiles the day before – was deserted the day after the attacks on Iran and other countries began. 

Numerous vacationers contact the "Krone"
Many people in the region are in the same situation as Singer – Dubai and Abu Dhabi are popular holiday destinations. The "Krone" is receiving messages from people in the region via social media and email. "We're sitting in an underground car park, send a jet," wrote one user on Instagram. Another reader reports: "The sky is loud because military jets are constantly on the move and we can see with the naked eye how attacks are being repelled."

One family wrote to us saying that they were now fearing for their safety in their hotel on Palm Jumeirah Island and hoped that the Austrian government would take swift action: "We want to go home as soon as possible. It's a nightmare for us here at the moment; our youngest family member is not yet three years old."

What to do when you are there?

• Very important: stay calm!
• Follow the instructions of the staff or security personnel.
• Carry important documents (passport, etc.) with you. 
• Prepare an emergency backpack with the essentials (medication, change of clothes).
• In case of alarm, seek shelter.
• The State Department can be reached around the clock at the emergency number [phone] .

Worrying about how she will get home
According to official figures, there are currently around 14,000 Austrians living abroad and around 400 travelers in the affected regions. The Foreign Ministry advises those affected to follow local instructions. Evacuation flights are not currently planned. Singer is also still unsure when and how exactly she will get home: the flight via Istanbul planned for Tuesday has been canceled.