AWS data center in UAE catches fire after 'objects' strike

Amazon Web Services said connectivity from a data center in the United Arab Emirates went down after the facility was struck by "objects" at about 7:30 a.m. ET, producing sparks and a fire. Firefighters shut off power to the site and its generators while they worked to extinguish the blaze.

The company said one of its Availability Zones was impacted but did not identify what the objects were. An availability zone can include one or more data centers, and AWS lists three availability zones in the UAE. The incident came amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks by the Iranian military on at least half a dozen Gulf states, activity that has produced visible missile launches over Dubai and regional damage, including to the Fairmont on the Palm, Dubai's main airport and the Burj Al-Arab.

By about 7:30 p.m. ET, AWS reported "significant signs of recovery" for some systems, though power remained out at the center and no estimated time for restoration was provided.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai

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