Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud-computing arm of Amazon, on Monday said power to one of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was temporarily shut down after unidentified objects struck the facility, sparking a fire and prompting an emergency shutdown.
The incident comes as the UAE contends with the fallout from Iran's retaliatory missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. The strikes followed US and Israeli attacks on Iran, escalating tensions and resulting in damage to airports, ports, and several residential areas in the UAE and neighbouring countries.
AWS declined to confirm or deny any connection with the data centre incident was linked to the ongoing strikes.
"Around 4:30 a.m. PST, one of our Availability Zones (mec1-az2) was impacted by objects that struck the data centre, creating sparks and fire," Reuters reported AWS as saying. AWS defines an Availability Zone as a cluster of one or more physically separate data centres within a given region, designed to operate independently to enhance resilience and reduce the risk of widespread service disruption.
According to AWS, local fire authorities cut electricity to the affected facility as crews worked to extinguish the blaze. The cloud provider said it expects several hours of downtime before connectivity in the impacted zone is fully restored. Other AWS zones in the UAE remain operational, and the company noted that the disruption is contained to mec1-az2. AWS said it is continuing to assess the situation and will provide updates as recovery efforts progress.
ALSO READ: Iran War Live Updates: US Destroys IRGC Headquarters, Israel Hits Tehran, Lebanon
The US and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on the country's ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Blasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior leaders, Iranian leaders have said. Iran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states in a counteroffensive that the US military said resulted in the deaths of three service members.
ALSO READ: 'Likely More To Come': Trump Signals Prolonged Iran Conflict In 'Operation Epic Fury' Update
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.