Two specialized gas handling and storage vessels caught fire at Egypt's Damietta port, but no casualties were reported, announced the country's Ministry of Petroleum.
The ministry said in a statement Wednesday that “the situation was immediately handled according to emergency response plans and quickly,” without specifying the cause of the fire.
In an earlier statement, maritime shipping service Inchcape reported an explosion at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. Port operations at other berths and terminals are expected to resume by night, according to Inchcape.
Reuters, citing UK maritime security firm Ambrey, reported that a U.S.-owned floating oil tanker at the port was attacked by a drone. The crew was evacuated and the fire was brought under control, the firm said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The incident comes as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran “very hard” following a wave of missile attacks by Iran-backed militant groups targeting U.S. military bases in the region.
The attacks on multiple fronts mark a resumption of hostilities after several relatively quiet days. Earlier this week, Trump abruptly halted airstrikes on Iran after 13 days, which U.S. officials described as an effort to give diplomacy a chance.
