Eleven people suffered suffocation on Monday following an ammonia gas leak at the industrial complex in Jordan's southern port city of Aqaba, according to Nedal Musa Al Ouran, commissioner for environment and public safety at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Xinhua reports.
He said the incident occurred around noon during maintenance work on an old pump or pressure device belonging to a Japanese company. A small amount of ammonia that had previously accumulated at the site leaked during the maintenance work.
The injuries ranged from mild to moderate cases of suffocation, with some of those affected receiving treatment at the industrial complex's clinic and others being transferred to the hospital, according to Ouran.
He said the workers had initially followed safety procedures, but their proximity to the leak exposed them to the gas.
Ouran said the leak was brought under control shortly after it occurred, adding that civil defense personnel and security forces were at the site and technical checks had confirmed that the situation was under control.
Workers were evacuated as a precaution in line with emergency plans for the industrial area, he said, adding that they would be allowed to return to their workplaces after another inspection and necessary measurements confirmed that there were no remaining risks.
Ouran added that the authority, in cooperation with the governor of Aqaba and relevant agencies, would review the safety measures in place during the incident to identify any shortcomings and draw lessons.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
