Abu Dhabi explosion was gas cylinder blast, says fire service

Crews responded to blaze in Hamdan Street building in early hours

Fire crews tackled a blaze on Abu Dhabi's Hamdan Street that was caused by a gas cylinder explosion. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A blast heard in central Abu Dhabi shortly after midnight on Wednesday was a gas explosion, authorities have said.

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence responded to a fire in a residential building on Hamdan Street at 12.09am.

A statement said the incident was a “fire caused by a gas container explosion".

“Teams managed to control the situation after extinguishing the fire and safely vacating the residents. No injuries or casualties resulted from the fire,” a civil defence statement carried by state news agency Wam said.

“Cooling procedures to minimise the damage are currently under way.”

Video on social media captured a loud bang and a flash of flames on the upper floors of the mid-rise residential building, which is on a busy junction.