MikeLigalig.com

It is unclear what caused the blast at around 0700 (0300 GMT) in the al-Quoz Industrial Area, which is home to hundreds of businesses and factories.

Television footage showed a fireball shooting 100m into the sky, followed by a huge plume of smoke and ash.

Around a dozen fire engines and ambulances have been sent to the scene.

All routes towards the area have been closed off, causing a major traffic jam along Sheikh Zayed Road, which links Dubai with Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.