DUBAI// Work to remove 2,500 tonnes of burnt goods from the charred remains of two cargo boats, recently gutted on the Dubai creek, began this morning.
The larger vessel, Bhakti Sagar, is dangerously close to sinking, officials warned.
"We are removing the waste from the top of the ship," said Salem Mesmar, the assistant director general for environment, health and safety at Dubai Municipality.
"It is almost sinking. It is only one metre on top of the creek," he said.
The fire broke out last Saturday on a smaller dhow containing about 170 barrels of petrol.
The fire then spread to the Bhakti Sagar, also anchored on the Deira side of the creek. Strong winds then blew both boats to the Bur Dubai side of the creek after their moorings burnt through.
Mr Mesmar said the first step was to empty the vessels of the goods stored in them. The smaller dhow contains 750 tonnes of cargo, while the larger boat was carrying 1,750 tonnes. The cargo on both dhows includes cars, spare parts, clothes, plastic bottles, sugar and other food items which were being shipped to Somalia.
The dhows will be taken to Jedaf in the second phase of the recovery operation, expected to begin next week.
PKannan@thenational.ae
