AMMAN —
Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh said on Tuesday that normalcy has been
restored in Aqaba after a chlorine gas leak killed 13 and Caused ver 300
injuries, adding that the leak has been completely contained, the Jordan News
Agency, Petra, reported.
اضافة اعلان
The premier, who
toured the site of the incident, said that the port is operating normally and
there is no risk from chlorine gas, which leaked on Monday when a cable
carrying a tank of liquefied chlorine onto a ship broke, dropping the tank.
“Life in Aqaba is
completely safe. The authorities have confirmed that there are no gas
concentrations in the air. We are standing here at the scene of the accident
this morning without any safety precautions or even masks,” Khasawneh said.
The premier
tasked Minister of Interior Mazen Faraya with leading an investigation into the
incident. Faraya announced that as of Tuesday morning work had resumed at the
Aqaba Port, with the exception of berth no. 4, which is still not operational
until its safety is totally ensured.
Meanwhile,
Al-Mamlaka TV reported on Tuesday that the Public Prosecutor launched an
investigation into the incident, according to Secretary-General of the Judicial
Council and media spokesperson Judge Walid Kanakrieh.
He said that “a
team of forensic doctors was formed under the supervision of the Public
Prosecutor to conduct medical examinations of the deceased, who were
transferred to several hospitals in Aqaba.” Seven bodies were handed over to
their families while five others, of foreign nationalities, were transferred to
Amman. The remains of one victim were sent to his hometown in Irbid, Kanakrieh
said.
Ending
speculations about the quality of air and water in Aqaba, Minister of
Environment Muawiya Radaydah said that both are free of chlorine gas, adding
that no environmental hazards are to be expected as a result of Monday’s leak.
He told Petra
that the ministry and other concerned officials tested the air in various areas
of the port city, including the quayside and the grain silos area, to ensure it
was safe. Sea water samples were also taken and were confirmed to be natural
and safe.
The Ministry of
Environment will investigate the impact of the accident on the marine
environment, which is expected to be limited to the immediate vicinity of the
accident site.
Meanwhile, Aqaba
Governor Mohammad Al-Rafaa’a said Tuesday that there were no severe cases in
the governorate’s hospitals after the gas leak accident in the city’s port.
He said the
number of cases still being treated at hospitals dropped to 139, and the number
of fatalities remained 13, noting that two patients were evacuated to Amman by
an air ambulance.
In related news,
Minister of State for Media Affairs Faisal Al-Shboul said on Tuesday, that “the
preliminary examinations of the Aqaba grain silos proved that they were not
affected by the toxic gas leak incident”; he was quoted by AmmanNet as saying
that “the silos are far from where the accident happened”.
Also on Tuesday,
the Public Security Directorate announced that 25 of those injured in Monday’s
incident, including police, civil defense, and gendarmerie personnel, have left
the hospital after receiving treatment.
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