Explosion on at major global port in Dubai causes huge fire
Dubai, Jul 8: An explosion inside a container on a ship docked at the Dubai port caused a massive fire on the vessel and shook the gleaming commercial hub of the UAE, authorities said on Thursday.
The blast occurred in the container aboard the vessel, preparing to dock away from the Jebel Ali Port's main shipping line at around midnight on Wednesday.
There were no reported deaths or injuries and the fire is under control, authorities said.
There were 14 sailors aboard the ship, who were evacuated safely.
"A fire has been reported to have broken out in a container within a ship anchored in Jebel Ali Port. A Dubai Civil Defence team is working to put out the blaze," Dubai Media Office said in a tweet on their official account.
Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi said the Jebel Ali Port fire has been brought fully under control and the cooling process is underway.
Teams took 40 minutes to control the blaze.
The blaze sent up giant orange flames on the vessel at the Jebel Ali Port, the ninth-largest port in the world and the biggest in the region.
The blast was heard across parts of Dubai, with residents hearing a loud explosion, according to witnesses. Panicked residents filmed from their high-rises as a fiery ball illuminated the night sky.
Residents from Marina, JVC, and Emirates Hills said that they heard a loud explosion that shook their doors and windows.
The Dubai Media Office posted a video of firefighters putting out the blaze at the port.
Lt General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-In-Chief at Dubai Police went to the fire site and said the fire occurred on a cargo ship at dockside 14, Gulf News reported.
The ship was carrying 130 containers. Three containers contained flammable materials. There were no explosives inside it or radioactive materials Lt Gen Al Marri said.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the reason behind the fire.
Jebel Ali Port Authorities said they took all necessary measures to ensure the normal movement of ships in the port.
Operated by the Dubai-based DP World, the port can berth some of the world's largest ships.
The port is not only a critical global cargo hub but a lifeline for Dubai and surrounding emirates.
DP World describes Jebel Ali Port as a gateway hub and a vital link in the global trade network that connects eastern and western markets. The company did not immediately issue any public statement on the blast.
Port Jebel Ali was constructed in the late 1970s to supplement the facilities at Port Rashid.
Dubai is the region's trade, business and tourism hub. The city is also one of the safest cities in the world.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases. Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
