Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, the largest in the Middle East, is operating normally again after an explosion at the facility around midnight on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The blast happened on a container ship at Terminal 1, the person said, adding there were no signs of sabotage. Several residents in western parts of the city, including the restaurant and residential district of Dubai Marina, said on social media the explosion rattled their windows and even shook walls of buildings.
No casualties have been reported, authorities said soon after the incident. Dubai police said the vessel was a small container ship able to hold 130 containers. The fire may have been caused by “friction or high temperature” and no radioactive materials were on board, police said.
A fire caused by an explosion within a container on board a ship at Jebel Ali Port has been brought under control; no casualities have been reported. pic.twitter.com/oMTaJhgEYd
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 7, 2021
Jebel Ali is one of the world’s busiest ports. It handled 71 million twenty-foot equivalent containers in 2020, according to its operator, DP World.
It’s also an important location for the US military as it can handle aircraft carriers. Collectively, the ports in the United Arab Emirates host more American naval ships than those of any other country aside from the US. Roughly 3,500 US military personnel are stationed in the UAE.
Follow us on
