Oil tanker on fire at Jebel Ali Port - UPDATE

Image courtesy of Seawings LLC

The operator of Jebel Ali, the region’s largest port terminal, has said that an oil tanker is on fire after colliding with a container ship in a shipping channel.  Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the area where the collision took place.

IN PICTURES: Jebel Ali tanker blaze

DP World’s senior vice president of corporate communications, Sarah Lockie, said in a statement that no casualties have been reported and that the authorities were being kept informed of any developments.

She added that an inbound tanker and an outbound mid-sized container feeder vessel had collided five miles out, in the Jebel Ali Port channel, and that authorities were working to control the fire. She indicated that all crew had been evacuated safely, but that two crewmen were rescued from the water with slight injuries.

Lockie concluded by saying that tugboats had already cleared the container vessel from the channel and that the crew was safe on board.

At 3.05pm local time, the DP World spokesman confirmed that the fire had been brought under control, that the channel was now clear and that traffic was operating normally. 

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article