Two Indians among three killed in Abu Dhabi fuel tankers explosion

Dubai, January 17, 2022

Three people -- two Indians and a Pakistani -- were killed and six injured in a fire caused by an explosion in three petroleum tankers at Musaffah in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today.

"Two Indians and a Pakistani were among the deceased," the Dubai-based English-language Khaleej Times newspaper reported, quoting the Abu Dhabi Police.

Police said the injuries were "mild to moderate".

There was also a minor fire in the new construction area of the Abu Dhabi Airport and the authorities have indicated that the explosions and fires could have been caused by drones.

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. Musaffah is an industrial district to the southwest of Abu Dhabi.

WAM, the official Emirates News Agency, said Abu Dhabi Police had confirmed that a fire broke out this morning, which led to the explosion of three petroleum tankers in ICAD 3, Mussafah, near the storage tanks of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's (ADNOC).

"A minor fire also broke out in the new construction area of Abu Dhabi International Airport," it said.

"Preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of the fires are small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones, that fell in the two areas. Teams from the competent authorities have been dispatched and the fire is currently being put out," WAM said.

"The competent authorities have launched an extensive investigation into the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it. However, there are no significant damages resulting from the two accidents," the agency added.

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