A huge explosion rocked Dubai's Jabel Ali Port, the Middle East's largest transshipment hub, on Wednesday night after a container carrying flammable materials ignited. The exact cause of the blast is under investigation, but according to media reports, at this time, there is no suspicion of foul play.
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According to Dubai Civil Defense, no casualties were reported in the incident and the 14 sailors aboard the ship were all evacuated safely. DCD chief Maj. Gen. Rashid al-Matroushi said that the fire caused by the explosion was brought under control in less than an hour.
Dubai Media Office Director-General Mona Al Marri told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya that the explosion was a "normal accident" in a container holding flammable materials.
The network cited the Dubai Police as saying the cause may have been "friction or high temperatures" during the regional heatwave.
Director General of Dubai Civil Defense Maj. Gen. Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi: The Jebel Ali Port fire has been brought fully under control and the cooling process is under way pic.twitter.com/t0kMEc8Bws
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 7, 2021
According to Gulf News, the blast occurred around midnight in a container aboard the vessel as it was preparing to dock away from the port's main shipping line. Witnesses in residential areas between 15 and 22 kilometers (9-13 miles) from the Jebel Ali Port reported hearing the blast.
Dubai Police chief Lt. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa al-Marri, told reporters that "the ship was carrying 130 containers. Three containers contained flammable materials. There were no explosives inside it or radioactive materials."
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