Fransisco Castrejon stands inside his house, damaged by a warehouse explosion nearby in Houston, Texas, US. Reuters

The UAE Consulate in Houston has confirmed that all Emiratis in Houston are safe following the explosion that occurred in a factory in the city at dawn on Friday. It urged all UAE citizens in Houston to register for the online "My Presence" service via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website or its smart application and to communicate with the Consulate in the event of an emergency.

Two killed 20 injured as explosion shakes Houston warehouse

"All UAE citizens staying in Houston for the purpose of treatment or study were not present in the area hit by the blast," said the Consulate, warning Emiratis in the US to stay away from the explosion zone for reasons of safety.

The explosion occurred on the outskirts of the city of Houston, 35 kilometres away from where Emirati citizens are staying, the Consulate explained.

It cited local authorities' reports that indicated that it was a propylene gas explosion and pointed to a leak of some kind at the manufacturing site.

WAM