Egypt says drone caused fire on two vessels at Damietta Port

Preliminary investigations found that a drone caused the fire aboard two vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port on 29 July, the Cabinet said on Thursday, adding that no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.

The fire broke out aboard two vessels at the Mediterranean port on Wednesday and was brought under control, according to a Cabinet statement. The petroleum ministry said earlier that no casualties or injuries were reported.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Cabinet said, without providing further details on the drone or identifying those responsible.

“The relevant authorities are continuing their investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement said.

The Cabinet said Egypt would take all necessary measures to safeguard the country’s interests and national security.

Petroleum Minister Karim Badawy travelled to Damietta following the fire to inspect the site and oversee follow-up measures with technical and safety teams. The petroleum ministry said emergency response and firefighting teams had contained the blaze and launched a technical assessment to determine its cause and evaluate any impact on operations.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English