A massive fire was reported in Aqaba’s old port silos on Monday noon, with videos of the incident showing smoke coming out of multiple windows and Civil Defense Department (CDD) teams trying to gain control over the situation.

Five people have been injured in the fire, according to Roya’s correspondent who is in touch with the civil defense teams on the site. Their injuries range from moderate to critical, the source stated, adding that the victims are treated at the nearby Prince Hashem Hospital.

Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Nasser Shraideh, confirmed the CDD has extinguished the fire and is in the process of clearing the site of the effects of the fire, adding that work in the new Aqaba port have not been affected by the incident.

According to preliminary statements, the fire was caused by an oxygen cylinder that had caught fire as a result of workers cutting iron in the building.

The ASEZA is overseeing the transition from the old to the new port in Aqaba. In late March they announced that the emptying of the silos would occur by the end of April and the old port would cease operations by early May.

According to schedule, the old port should be handed over to the investment company implementing the Marsa Zayed development project in September.