Flights have been suspended at Dubai International Airport after a “drone-related incident” caused a nearby fuel tank to catch fire early Sunday morning.
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension “as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,” Dubai Media Office said.
Raj Dholakia told CNN he was at the airport waiting to board a flight to Toronto via New York when authorities evacuated the entire floor covering three gates.
“There were hundreds of people who were resting, sleeping or walking, but they were all told to go to the nearest staircase and go down,” Dholakia said.
He added that “the escalators were full and the elevators were also in use” from the gathering point, where he estimated up to 1,000 passengers had assembled.
Dholakia said there were few seats and some people sat on the floor. He added that more than a dozen flights were still listed as “gate closed,” “last flight,” or “boarding” on the departure information board, suggesting many passengers may have been waiting in planes on the runway.
Travelers are advised to contact their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.
“Please do not go to the airport,” Emirates said in a post on X, adding that the safety of its passengers and crew was its “top priority.”
The fuel tank fire was “successfully extinguished” and no injuries were reported from the drone “collision,” the news agency said.
Some flights are now being diverted to the city’s other main airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, about 65 kilometers away.
CNN has contacted airport operator Dubai Airports.
