UAE investigates explosion on container ship carrying flammable materials which unleashed a fireball at one of the world's busiest ports and sent shock waves through Dubai city
This handout picture provided by the Government of Dubai Media Office on July 8, 2021, shows civil defence firefighters at the scene of a blaze that broke out at Dubai's main port of Jebel Ali following an explosion.
Flames and smoke poured from the ship but authorities said it was doused within 40 minutes and that there were no casualties, with all 14 crew members evacuated in time before the explosion. An AFP news agency correspondent at the scene saw a helicopter circling overhead as columns of smoke rose from the tightly secured facility after the blast.Dubai police said three of the 130 containers on the ship held flammable materials.
Jebel Ali port is capable of handling aircraft carriers and was the US Navy's busiest port of call outside of the United States in 2017, according to the US Congressional Research Service.