A large explosion, an impressive fire and no casualties reported.

The disaster, which occurred in the main port of Dubai, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, was brought under control, announced Thursday the communication service of the Gulf emirate.

Images shared on social media showed a large fireball visible from several miles away.

A fire caused by an explosion within a container on board a ship at Jebel Ali Port has been brought under control;

no casualities have been reported.

pic.twitter.com/oMTaJhgEYd

- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 7, 2021

"A fire caused by an explosion inside a container aboard a boat at the port of Jebel Ali has been brought under control, no casualties have been reported," the Dubai communications service tweeted (Dubai Media Office).

An accompanying video shows firefighters harnessing themselves to a large boat full of containers from which thick white smoke gushes out.

A helicopter was also dispatched to the site under very tight security and inaccessible, noted an AFP journalist.

The windows shook

The authorities of the port of Jebel Ali assured to take "all the necessary measures so that the normal movement of ships in the port continues without any disturbance", added DMO.

Jebel Ali is the headquarters of the Emirati giant DP World, one of the world's main port operators, which manages 49 terminals around the world.

The large port in the south of the emirate can accommodate aircraft carriers and was the most active US Navy port of call outside of the United States in 2017, according to the US Congressional Research Service.

Such events are rare in the ultra-secure city-state, one of the seven principalities that make up the United Arab Emirates.

“I was outside on my balcony.

My friend saw something yellow coming (like) the sun.

I took the photo and after (there was) a noise, ”tweeted a user who lives near the site of the explosion.

A resident of the Marina district, near the port of Jebel Ali, told AFP that he "saw the windows shake": "I have lived here for 15 years and this is the first time I see and hear this".

Largest shopping area in the Middle East

The port of Jebel Ali handled a volume of 14.1 million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) in 2019, a decrease of 5.6%, but which still places it among the top 10 in the world.

Some 8,000 companies are based in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), which contributed 23% to Dubai's gross domestic product (GDP) last year.

It is the largest commercial area in the Middle East.

In the space of 50 years, the emirate has grown from a small port town to a regional crossroads for transport, commerce, tourism and even financial services.

Poor in oil, Dubai has the most diverse economy of the Arab Gulf countries, attracting workers from all over the world in different industries.

Of the approximately 3.3 million inhabitants who inhabit this city-state known for its taste for consumption and luxury, more than 90% are foreigners.

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