Jordan’s prime minister Bisher al-Khasawneh has called for a probe into the incident where a toxic gas leaked out of a container in Jordan’s port of Aqaba, killing at least 12 people and injuring 260 others, was chlorine, Jordan’s emergency relief coordinating agency said late Monday.
The force of the fall punctured the pressurized container, enveloping the freighter Forest 6 in a shroud of the bright yellow gas, closed-circuit TV images from the port shown.
The fallen white tank, punctured and stained yellow from where the gas burst out, came to rest on the dock directly beside the Forest 6 vessel. Ship-tracking websites say the deck cargo ship was built only this year and sails under a Hong Kong flag.
On the other hand, Aqaba health director Jamal Obeidat said that hospitals were full in the area and “cannot receive more cases”.
“The injured people are in medium to critical condition,” he added.
He called on residents of Aqaba to “stay in their homes and shut all windows as a precaution”, stating that” the chemical substance is very dangerous”, without specifying what it was.
“The government formed a team headed by the interior minister to investigate the accident and take the necessary measures,” al-Shaboul said.
The government spokesman urged citizens not to approach the site of the incident, adding that medical reinforcements were being sent to Aqaba.
Chlorine has a range of industrial uses and is infamous for its use as a chemical weapons agent in World War I. It attacks the respiratory system, skin, and eyes.
If breathed in, swallowed, or allowed to interact with the skin, the chlorine reacts with water to produce acids that are harmful to body cells.
Inhaling high amounts of chlorine can also lead to the fatal condition of pulmonary oedema.
Jordan’s Aqaba port is the country’s only maritime gateway and a transit point for the lion’s share of its imports and exports.
Aqaba is a popular tourist resort, located on the Red Sea. The incident has alarmed many tourists, but Tourism Commissioner Nidal Al Magali said in a statement that the impact of the gas spread had been limited due to slow winds.
