3 dhows catch fire at creek

Three wooden dhows anchored at the Jadaf creek caught fire on Sunday morning. According to eyewitnesses, the fire started when a worker on board was trying to power-up a generator.

The fire started at 9.25am and civil defence personnel from Rashidiya, Satwa and Karama rushed to the area, situated next to Business Bay Crossing on the opposite side of Dubai Festival City.

According to Brigadier Ahmad Obaid Al Sayegh, Assistant Director-General of the Dubai Civil Defence, no human casualties or injuries were reported. He said: “The three dhows were parked close together and the crew distanced the vessels so that the fire-fighting mission could be completed with ease.”

Insurance can help cover damage by fire A string of fire incidents on wooden dhows in Dubai Creek have prompted concerns over the loss of property. Ashok Sardana, Managing Director, Continental Group cited the need for insurance to protect companies from losses. He said: “Accidents such as these are not uncommon and there are many factors that can cause these incidents. While it is important to put in place the necessary safety measures to minimise the chances of such fires, it is equally important to have adequate insurance that will cover the damage and losses caused by such incidents.” He added: “We may not be able to predict or completely prevent these occurrences, but we can and should protect ourselves against their effects as much as possible — be it a fire occurring on a ship or in a building.” muaz@khaleejtimes.com

Fire on two of the dhows was contained quickly, but the larger Dhow parked along the Jaddaf creek took a long time.

It is believed the three dhows were loaded with diesel and were used for import and export of goods from Iran.

“Initial reports suggest the boat was loaded with diesel but we haven’t received any confirmation yet. Investigations are underway,” said the official.

More than six fire-fighting trucks and water tankers joined the fire-fighting operation. The crew was successful in preventing the fire from reaching the Jadaf shipyard where traditional wooden dhows are still made.

Cooling operations were underway after the fire was put out at 12.30pm. Traffic on the Floating Bridge was closed for a short while, as crisis teams from Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) were also onsite to assess the situation.

Thick black smoke rose over Dubai for more than two hours and was visible from Shaikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road.

Police boats cordoned off water access to the area as slow-moving traffic was reported on the Business Bay crossing also. It is believed the dhows belonged to Obaid Juma bin Suloom Trading.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com