Dubai extinguishes fire on ship in Jebel Ali Port

A fire aboard a ship in Dubai's Jebel Ali Port was extinguished on Thursday after it had been sparked overnight by an explosion in a container, the Dubai government's media office said.

The blaze in the Middle East's largest transshipment hub was caused by a container holding flammable material, Dubai Media Office (DMO) Director General Mona Al Marri told Al Arabiya television, describing it as a "normal accident".

DMO said there were no casualties and officials told Al Arabiya the crew had been evacuated.

Police in Dubai, a regional business hub and one of seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates, said the blast might have been caused by "friction or high temperatures" during hot summer weather, Al Arabiya reported.

UAE Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said all logistical operations at Jebel Ali Port had resumed. "Our priority now is to ensure that the accident will not impact the marine environment," he said in a ministry statement.

Read more

Source: Reuters