Ship explosion

The fire at the DP-World operated Jebel Ali Port in Dubai occurred on a small unnamed container ship. According to the Government of Dubai Media Office (DMO), the fire was caused by an explosion within a container onboard the vessel. No casualties or operational disruption has been reported.

On 8 July, the DMO tweeted a statement from Jebel Ali Port which said: “The fire that broke out in Jebel Ali Port yesterday occurred in a container in a ship carrying flammable materials.”

The port added that various authorities “took rapid action at the site to fully put out the fire in under 40 minutes”.

Investigation underway

Port authorities are carrying out an investigation into the cause of the fire and the circumstances involved, said the DMO.

The ship and surrounding area were evacuated by port officials when “a leakage and smoke” was observed, according to the DMO.

A Dubai Civil Defence team worked to put out the blaze on the anchored vessel at Terminal One.

It’s not clear whether Terminal 1 sustained any damage. DMO video footage from 7 July, released on Twitter, showed debris at the terminal, however, operations at the port are reportedly unaffected. On 8 July, DMO tweeted: “Prudent action ensured that operations were not affected in any way due to the incident, which occurred in the older Terminal 1, used for small ships. Terminal 2, 3 & 4 of the Port, where big ships dock & offload their cargo, continued normal operations even during the incident.”

Port Strategy contacted DP World for comment and was referred to the DMO.