Jordan dismisses port officials following chlorine gas leak

CCTV footage exhibits a storage tank containing chlorine fuel crashing right into a ship after falling from a winch, in Aqaba, Jordan June 27, 2022, on this nonetheless picture taken from a handout video. Jordan TV/Handout through REUTERS

AMMAN, July 3 (Reuters) – Jordan on Sunday dismissed senior officers on the nation’s major Purple Sea port of Aqaba port after discovering gross negligence was behind the deaths of 13 folks following a chlorine fuel leak at a significant berth.

The deaths and damage of over 300 employees got here after a crane loading chlorine containers onto a ship final Monday dropped one onto the jetty, inflicting it to blow up. learn extra

Jordan’s cupboard took the choice to fireside the director basic of state-owned Aqaba Firm for Ports Operation & Administration and different port officers after an investigation confirmed “negligence and main deficiencies” in security protocols, Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh mentioned in a Twitter publish.

At a press convention on Sunday, Inside Minister Mazin al Farrayeh mentioned the outcomes of the investigation, which started shortly after the incident and contains the testimony of greater than 120 folks, could be handed over to the general public prosecutor.

“The required measures for basic security in dealing with such harmful hazardous supplies weren’t taken,” Farrayeh mentioned, including he anticipated these accountable to be placed on trial.

Earlier the port got here to a close to standstill after a whole bunch of employees stayed at house to demand higher industrial security measures.

Unionists mentioned the newest cupboard steps met a few of their calls for, however that no remaining determination had been taken to name off additional protests, a part of a string of demonstrations for the reason that incident that included sit-ins in entrance of presidency places of work.

Business consultants mentioned the incident might have was a disaster had dozens of employees ending a shift not left the location shortly earlier than the leak. Winds additionally blew the poisonous fuel away from populated areas within the port metropolis to the outlying desert.

The leak is the second main scandal to have hit Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh’s authorities in recent times after a minimum of seven sufferers died final yr when oxygen ran out of a public hospital.

Aqaba port on the north finish of the Purple Sea has lengthy been a significant transit route for Iraqi cargo, however has additionally develop into a gateway for some items destined to Syria and the Palestinian territories.

Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Enhancing by Jan Harvey

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