Emergency services in Dubai have extinguished a fire after a container exploded at the Port of Jebel Ali, according to the Dubai Media Office (DMO).
In a series of online updates, the DMO said there were no casualties and authorities had ensured port operations were not interrupted. The fire, the DMO said, was caused by a container holding “flammable material” while it was still onboard a docked vessel.
“The concerned authorities highly efficiently controlled the last stage of a fire that broke out in a container on a ship preparing to dock on one of the berths of Jebel Ali Port without causing any injuries or death,” it said.
“We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the normal movement of ships in the port continues without any disruption.”
The vessel carrying the container in question is believed to have a capacity of 130 TEU but the DMO has not disclosed its name or which carrier it belongs to.
It is the latest such incident to affect of the maritime industry and will raise more questions of its safety and storage procedures.
In August 2020, an explosion at the Port of Beirut, caused by storage of dangerous materials, killed at least 215 people. Earlier in 2021, the X-Press Pearl sunk after a fire caused by a leak of nitric acid.
