Authorities have brought a limited ammonia gas leak at the industrial complex in Aqaba under control, with 11 people treated for mild to moderate suffocation, according to an official at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.
اضافة اعلان
Dr. Nidal Al-Awran, Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety Affairs at the Authority, said the leak occurred during maintenance work on an old unit at the complex, caused by a prior accumulation of ammonia gas. Technical teams identified and sealed the source of the leak within a short time.
Of the 11 people affected, some received first aid at the industrial complex clinic while others were transferred to hospital for further care. Al-Awran said no serious injuries were recorded.
Civil defense teams and security services responded immediately after the leak was detected and took the measures necessary to secure the site. The port was evacuated as a precaution, Al-Awran said, to protect workers while the incident was being addressed.
He added that the technical procedures related to the source of the leak had been resolved and that specialized teams were continuing to monitor environmental conditions and public safety on site. Normal port operations would resume, he said, once field data and follow-up results confirmed the site was safe and free of any further risk.
Dr. Mahmoud Khleifat, Director General of the Aqaba Ports Management and Operation Company, told Al-Ghad that the company activated its approved emergency plan immediately upon detecting the leak. He said all port personnel were evacuated within a short time in line with approved emergency response procedures and in coordination with the relevant authorities.
An unnamed official source confirmed that air quality measurements and environmental indicators in the southern region were within normal limits, and that monitoring was continuing. The source said the leak originated at an industrial complex belonging to the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and that it was handled in accordance with approved safety and emergency procedures.
This article was originally written in Arabic by Ahmad Al-Rawashdeh for Al Ghad.
