10 Feb Gas cylinder explosion in Abu Dhabi raises alarm
An explosion from a faulty gas cylinder in a building in Abu Dhabi has caused alarm. Initially the U.S. embassy initially claimed they suspected it to be a possible missile strike.
Abu Dhabi is a well known tourism hub, so the explosion caused concern and worry amongst residents and tourists after recent attacks in Yemen by the Houthis.
Abu Dhabi civil defence confirmed it received a report of a fire at 12:09 a.m caused by a gas cylinder explosion in a building in a central residential area. It said there were no casualties, and asked the public to follow only official news sources and avoid spreading rumours.
In a statement on state media, the civil defence authority said: “Specialised teams extinguished the fire, evacuated the building as a precaution and controlled the situation.”
Earlier, the U.S. embassy had issued a warning of “reports of a possible missile or drone strike”. The explosion was later confirmed to be from a faulty gas cylinder and the warning retracted.