Two hurt in boat fire off Ras Al Khaimah coast

Fishermen rescued after vessel bursts into flames within a fishing port

A boat catches fire in a port in Ras Al Khaimah. Courtesy: Khalifa Al Mehairi

Two men have been hurt after their boat caught fire in Ras Al Khaimah on Tuesday.

The fishermen, from Asia, were on-board the small vessel within Ghalilah Fishing Port when the boat exploded and burst into flames at around 8am.

Their injuries were described as "moderate" but the men were taken to Shaam Hospital by their colleagues.

Khalifa Al Mehairi, chairman of RAK Fishermen Association, said the workers were changing the boat's battery when the explosion happening, leading them to believe that it was caused by an electrical fault.

“Incorrect wiring installation can cause huge problems,” he said.

“We always advise fishermen to seek experts help when it comes to replacing boat parts and maintenance to avoid similar accidents."

Hasan Laha, a 45-year-old Emirati fisherman, was at the port at the time of the explosion.

“The force of the explosion threw the workers into the water. We managed to pull them and take them to the hospital,” he said.

Mr Laha said the coastguards dragged the boat away from the port to protect other docked vessels from damage.

“There were about 100 fishing boats at the port when the explosion happened,” he said.

“The boat was completely destroyed and sank in the water but the rest of the boats docked at the ‎port were not affected."

Police patrols and Civil Defence teams were dispatched to the site.

Investigations are under way to identify the cause of the blast.