Ras Al Khaimah: A 35-year-old Indian fisherman was seriously injured when a fishing boat exploded at the port in Shaam about 30 km north of Ras Al Khaimah on Monday evening.
The accident occurred at about 5pm on Monday.
The fisherman suffered serious injuries and was transferred to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah.
The flames quickly spread in the boat that was docked at the port.
The fishing vessel in which the fire started was owned by an Emirati, Waleed Al Bihar.
Police ,civil defense team members and National ambulance crew arrived at the site to control the blaze.
Meanwhile, an official with the National ambulance crew told Gulf News that the centrereceived a call about the fishing boat fire at 5.38pm.
the boat was refuelling on the dock when the boat caught fire..
Immediately they sent two ambulances and one first response unit to the scene.
Upon arrival, the official said, the teams found the 35-year-old fisherman in a critical condition and suffering from first degree burns.
National Ambulance treated the patient on scene and transferred him to Saqr hospital in Ras Al Khaimah for further treatment.
Khalifa Al-Muhairi, Head of the Ras Al Khaimah Fishermen Association, said fishermen informed the association that the accident occurred after two Asian fishermen were refuelling. After filling the fuel tank, one of them started the engine, which caused an electrical issue which, combined with a fuel leak in the “cruiser”, led to an explosion in the boat.
The head of the Ras Al Khaimah Fishermen Association warned fishermen of the dangers of fishing boat accidents at sea, calling for the regular maintenance of boats for their safety , especially with the approaching summer and gradually increasing temperatures now.
Authorities are investigating the incident for further details.
