Fire Shuts Down Port

According to reports, Sharjah closed Port Khalid after a fire broke out at a lubricants warehouse. The reason for the fire is unknown. It was said that three firefighters were taken to Sharjah's Kuwaiti Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. No casualties were reported. Firefighters, armed forces and civil defense personnel from Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Ajman were called in to battle the blaze. The fire, which started on Friday, is believed to have started from a small factory in an adjacent industrial area and spread to a depot of Emirates Lube Oil Company in the port. Police responded by cordoning off the area around the depot and sealed all entry points on the Creek.

Port Khalid handles the majority of its general cargo traffic and has a 13-berth deepwater harbor. It is one of the most advanced ports in the region. Many UAE-based importers favor Port Khalid to ship their cargo because of its modern storage facilities, including refrigerated storage facilities that can handle up to 5,000 tons. Immediately after the central operations received the fire report on Friday, police evacuated the port of workers and employees and disconnected the electricity. Source: Khaleej Times