Dubai authorities probe port blast that shook the city

DUBAI, AFP: Dubai authorities were yesterday investigating an explosion on a container ship carrying flammable materials which unleashed a fireball at one of the world’s busiest ports and sent shock waves through the city.

Firefighters rushed to the scene at Jebel Ali Port to tackle the blaze that broke out shortly before midnight on the large vessel which authorities said had been preparing to dock.

Flames and smoke poured from the ship but authorities said the blaze was doused within 40 minutes and there were no casualties, with all 14 crew evacuated in time.

Police said that the summer heat, already hovering above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Gulf city, may have been a factor.

“Jebel Ali Port authorities are continuing an extensive investigation on the cause of the fire and its circumstances,” the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

Police vehicles and fire trucks were yesterday still parked close to the heavily damaged vessel, which the authorities identified as the Comoros-flagged MV Ocean Trader.

Drone footage released by the Emirates media office showed smoke still emanating from the ship, docked at the port near stacks of thousands of containers.

Residents of apartment towers and villas that line the city’s coast reported hearing a loud bang in the night and then felt windows and doors shaking after the fireball shot into the sky.

Dubai police said three of the 130 containers on the ship held flammable materials.

Global logistics giant DP World tweeted that “operations are running seamlessly” across the port, thanking the local authorities for “their swift response in resolving the fire incident”.