24 rescued as oil tankers collide off UAE, sparking fire

DUBAI: At least 24 crew have been rescued after two oil tankers collided off the UAE, sparking at least one fire, the United Arab Emirates coastguard and a shipping company said on Tuesday.

British maritime security monitor Ambrey said the incident, which took place at a time of high tensions as an air war rages between nearby Iran and Israel, was “not security-related”. Shipping company Frontline said a fire was extinguished on its Front Eagle tanker after the collision with Adalynn, another oil transporter, 15 nautical miles off the UAE´s Gulf of Oman coast. “We are (also) aware of reports of a fire onboard the Adalynn following the collision,” a Frontline statement said, adding: “There have been no reports of pollution at this time.”