UAE reveals details of burning of oil tanker off its coast

SANAA, Jan. 30 (YPA) – The UAE revealed the circumstances that led to the burning of a ship on  Wednesday off Sharjah Emirate.

Activists on social media circulated a video footage showing the burning of the ship.

According to the official UAE news agency WAM, the UAE Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport announced that the concerned authorities are working to put out a fire on board a Panamanian oil tanker unloaded in the Gulf, 21 miles off the coast of the UAE, after sending a distress message.

The state’s port and search and rescue teams provided assistance as soon as the distress message was received, as efforts resulted in the rescue of the sailors and crew.

The Authority confirmed that the ship did not carry any oil shipments, and preliminary data indicate that the fire was caused by an accident during maintenance operations.

Earlier on Wednesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it had received reports of the burning of an oil tanker northwest of Sharjah in the UAE.

According to the Associated Press, a ship caught fire in the Gulf on Wednesday night, prompting British naval officials to issue a warning that “extreme caution” is needed.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the fire hit a ship northwest of Sharjah. He did not provide any further information about the ship.

A spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet said he was aware of an incident off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was monitoring the situation.

E.M