Ten injured in container vessel collision at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port

UAE ports operator DP World said in a statement that the incident occurred at Jebel Ali Port on Thursday lunchtime, and a spokesperson added it had not been reported at the time.

DP World said a CMA CGM container vessel collided with the harbour wall while berthing, striking the leg of a quay crane and causing it to fall.

A second crane was shifted off its rails during the incident but remained upright and stable.

The collision resulted in one moderate and nine minor injuries but no fatalities, DP World said. Medical treatment for all minor injuries was received at the DP World Medical Clinic at the terminal, while “the gentleman with the moderate injury, a fractured arm and leg, was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition”.

An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the incident, according to the statement. It added that the collapsed quay crane will be removed as per the necessary safety procedures once the investigation has been completed, and the second crane is under assessment for structural integrity and will not be used until further notice.

The statement said: “All necessary measures were taken to minimise disruption of service to customers during the emergency response activation and in the subsequent investigation phase.

“Our first priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees and all visitors to the port. DP World’s terminal safety teams responded immediately to the incident and head office global safety teams joined them on site within five minutes.

“Working with external emergency response teams, the area was evacuated and an exclusion zone created. Safety drones were also deployed to survey the area, locate anyone in need of medical assistance and to ensure the safety of the responding crews.

“We thank the CMA CGM crew, external emergency response services and the DP World safety and operations teams and who worked together, ensuring no serious injuries and no fatalities.”