Fire breaks out on container ship anchored in Dubai's Jebel Ali port
(Picture: via REUTERS)A huge explosion erupted on a container ship in Dubai at the biggest port in the Middle East.
A fire caused by an explosion within a container on board a ship was brought under control, local reports said.
Dramatic photographs of the fiery explosion were circulating on social media and a plume of smoke could be seen covering the area.
Emergency services were alerted to the scene at Jebel Ali Port on Wednesday.
Director-General of the Dubai Media Office Mona Al Marri told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel that it “could happen anywhere in the world.”
Also, he described the explosion as a “normal accident”.
Explosion of ship in Jebel Ali. More to follow… pic.twitter.com/z0JLSy5wdz
— Seif Eddine Mouelhi 👨💻☁️🐳🚀 (@semouelhi) July 7, 2021
Dubai police said they believed the incident could have taken place because of “friction or high temperatures”.
Locals in residential areas as far away as 14 miles from the port also heard the explosion and some have taken to Twitter to share footage of what took place.
Among the tweets, one person revealed one of the glass panels in their shower had shattered.
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 7, 2021
Resident Seif Eddine Mouelhi told Sky News he “heard a double blast and felt a light wind coming” towards him as he sat on his balcony working.
“I was sitting in my balcony working on my laptop, when suddenly I heard a double blast and felt a light wind coming to me.
“I was looking to the sky if this was a thunderstorm or an airplane breaking the super sonic wall.
I was in shower when that blast shook my house. Did anyone else hear it here in Dubai? pic.twitter.com/0R9OsXfYtV
— Austine Barasa (@Barasaaustins) July 7, 2021
“I am living 23km [14 miles] from the area where the explosion happened - I’m living in Business Bay and the explosion happened in Jebel Ali.”
No deaths or injuries were reported.
