An explosion occurred on a container ship anchored in Dubai at one of the world's biggest ports, sending shockwaves across the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, residents and officials say.
Giant orange flames engulfed the ship at the Jebel Ali port and sent tremors through the skyscraper-studded metropolis, causing windows and walls to vibrate in neighborhoods as far as 25 kilometers away.
"A fire has been reported to have broken out in a container within a ship anchored in Jebel Ali Port.
A Civil Defense team is working to contain the blaze," CNN quoted the Dubai Media Office as saying on their official Twitter account.
JUST IN - Powerful explosion at Jebel Ali Port, #Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The blast was heard throughout the city. pic.twitter.com/Q6DKP03uTZ — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 7, 2021
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries at the port, which is also the busiest port of call for American warships outside the United States.
Jebel Ali is the ninth biggest port in the world and the largest in the Middle East.
It is a critical international cargo hub, but a lifeline for Dubai and surrounding Gulf states, serving as a major point of entry for essential imports.
According to BNO News, the name of the ship was not immediately confirmed by authorities but is believed to be the Comoros-flagged container vessel "Ocean Trader."
A United Nations database identified the ship's owner as the Sash Shipping Corporation. The ship has been sailing up and down the coast of the UAE since April, BNO said.
The ship was carrying 130 containers, Dubai Police chief Lt. General Abdullah Al Marri told Gulf News.
"Three containers contained flammable materials. There are no explosives inside it or radioactive materials," Abdullah said.
It was not immediately known what triggered the explosion Wednesday. An investigation is underway.
