A bad omen for the global debt crisis

The world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - that just had its grand opening last month is now closed to the public due to the harrowing experience of one of the last groups of visitors to make it to the observation deck as reported in the Times Online.

Terrified passengers were left stranded between floors in the world’s tallest building after a lift broke as they were descending in the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. Visitors queueing to descend from the observation deck on the 124th floor of the recently opened 828-metre (2,717ft) tower heard a crash and the sound of breaking glass from the lift shaft. Dust then billowed back into the room through the small gaps in the lift shaft doors.
The 15 passengers inside the lift were left stranded for 45 minutes before they were rescued by staff who dropped a ladder into the shaft and helped them to climb out to the observation deck.

Recall that the name of the building was changed from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa after Dubai World was bailed to the tune of about $10 billion back in December by United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa. The name change may now have a little different feel to it over there in Abu Dhabi as angry visitors have to reschedule trips that were planned specifically to visit the observation deck of the skyscraper.