Jordan gas leak results in 13 fatalities till now
Jordan–When deadly chlorine gas escaped on the dockside in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, officials said that thirteen persons, including at least four Asian migrants, died. Jordanians made up eight of those killed. While dock workers sprinted for their lives and yellow gas clouds billowed overhead, the force of the explosion drove a truck rolling down the harborside.
Residents were instructed to close and seal doors and windows and to stay indoors after nearby communities were evacuated. Amer Sartawy, a spokesman for the Public Security Department, stated that “specialists and the hazardous substances team in the civil defense” were handling the problem.
The interior minister Mazen Al-Faraya and prime minister Bishr Khasawneh were on the scene right once, paid a visit to the hospital where some of the injured were being treated, and assembled a team to look into the situation.
Related Posts
A tank carrying 25 tons of chlorine gas that was being transferred to Djibouti toppled while being transported, causing the catastrophe. Video video showed a crane hoisting the tank off of a truck before it fell into a ship’s deck and exploded. The injured were taken to a field hospital, two state hospitals, and a private institution.
Hospitals in the area are at capacity and cannot take on any additional patients, according to Jamal Obeidat, director of Aqaba Health. The injured individuals are described as being in moderate to critical condition.
Jordan’s sole marine terminal, Aqaba Port, serves as a vital transit hub for many of the country’s imports and exports. Additionally a popular tourist destination, its beaches were shut down following the tragedy on Monday.
Chlorine gas is exceedingly poisonous, according to chest illness expert Dr. Mhammed Al-Tarawneh, and the leak might have a big impact on the area near the explosion.
He warned that inhaling this gas could irritate the mucous membranes and result in a red skin rash. The effects of inhaling the gas include pneumonia, esophageal burning, diarrhea, migraines, impaired vision, and loss of consciousness.