Massive explosions reported at UAE port

Powerful explosions have been reported in the Emirati port of al-Fujairah, where seven oil tankers are said to have caught fire.

The blasts took place early on Sunday morning, according to the Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television channel, which reported the development hours later.

It said the seven oil tankers were completely burnt and that firefighters were still trying to extinguish the blaze.

Some social media activists said that American and French aircraft of unspecified type were flying over the port.

Al Mayadeen did not say what had caused the explosions or the fire.

Later, the media office of the government of Fujairah denied the report of the explosions altogether, saying that transit and other activities at the port were underway as usual. Additionally, Brigadier Ali Obaid al-Taniji, the director of the department of civil defense in Fujairah, told the Emarat al-Youm daily that there had been no fire or explosion at the port.

Earlier this week, a number of powerful explosions rocked Saudi Arabia’s port city of Yanbu’, an important petroleum shipping terminal for the kingdom. Reports, however, fell short of giving any reason for the blasts or possible casualties.