Dubai authorities report ship fire at Jebel Ali port after blast shakes city

Dubai's government said a container ship had caught fire at Jebel Ali port in the early hours of July 8 after a loud explosion was heard across the city.

"A Dubai Civil Defense team is working to put out the blaze," which is on a container on the ship, Dubai's media office said in a statement.

Authorities are currently investigating the explosion and its cause, an official at the port told S&P Global Platts.

Jebel Ali, in the emirate of Dubai, is the busiest port in the Middle East and also a frequent port of call for the US Navy. It also hosts an industrial free zone.

There were 137 vessels currently berthed in or around Jebel Ali, according to cFlow, Platts' trade flow program.

The port is also the location of Emirates National Oil Company's 210,000 b/d condensate refinery.