Fire erupts on ships at Egypt’s Damietta port
A fire broke out on two gas processing and storage vessels at Egypt's Damietta port, with no reported injuries. The Egyptian oil ministry stated emergency response protocols were activated, and port operations are expected to resume overnight. Reports indicate a US-owned floating storage tanker may have been struck by a drone.
Two ships engaged in gas processing and storage operations caught fire at Egypt's Damietta port on Wednesday, prompting immediate emergency response measures. The Egyptian oil ministry confirmed the incident resulted in no injuries and stated that established emergency and rapid response protocols were deployed to manage the situation. The cause of the fire was not disclosed by the ministry in its initial statement.
According to maritime shipping service Inchcape, the incident involved a blast at the liquefied natural gas terminal. The company indicated that port operations at other berths and terminals would resume overnight, suggesting the fire was contained to specific facilities.
British maritime security company Ambrey, as reported by Reuters, suggested that a US-owned floating storage tanker at the port had been struck by a drone. Crew members were evacuated from the vessel, and the fire was subsequently brought under control.
The incident occurs amid escalating regional tensions. US President Donald Trump has stated intentions to respond forcefully to Iran following recent Iranian missile attacks on US bases in the region and joint US-Saudi operations against Iranian-backed forces in Iraq that resulted in significant casualties.
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