Two ships utilised for the processing and storage of gas caught fire at Egypt’s Damietta port on Wednesday.
The Egyptian oil ministry confirmed that there were no injuries resulting from the incident and noted that port activities were expected to resume at other terminals and berths overnight.
The ministry stated that the blaze was addressed immediately through the implementation of rapid response and emergency protocols, although it did not provide a specific cause for the fire, reports Al Jazeera.
However, the maritime shipping service Inchcape reported that an explosion had occurred at the port’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
The Reuters news agency, citing the British maritime security firm Ambrey, reported that a drone strike had targeted a US-owned floating storage tanker. According to that report, the crew members were successfully evacuated, and the fire was brought under control.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the strike.
The incident takes place during a period of escalating regional conflict. US President Donald Trump recently vowed to strike Iran “hard” following a series of Iranian missile strikes against US bases in the region.
This follows joint military actions by the United States and Saudi Arabia against a Tehran-backed armed group in Iraq, which resulted in at least 20 fatalities.
These developments signify a return to active hostilities after a short interval of relative calm earlier in the week. President Trump had previously paused the bombing of Iran for 13 days, a move US officials described as an effort to provide an opportunity for diplomacy.
