Thirteen are dead and more than 250 injured after a chlorine tank crashed onto the deck of a ship and leaked toxic gas at Jordan’s Aqaba port.
The unidentified ship was loading at the port when a tank fell from a crane, sending a plume of yellow smoke in all directions and port employees scrambling, video posted to social media shows.
According to multiple media reports, authorities are calling on residents to shut their windows and stay indoors.
Grain silos at the port have suspended operations, but traffic at the Red Sea port continues, Reuters reported.
“We asked the ships that were near the area of the tank explosion to stay away from the area immediately,” Jordan Maritime Commission director general Muhammad Salman said in a Reuters report.
The ship involved is reportedly the 9,386-dwt multipurpose vessel Forest 6 (built 2022).
The Forest 6 is flagged in Hong Kong and HK Peace Shipping is listed as its owner, while Qingdao-based Seacon Ships Management is listed as the technical manager.
Seacon has been approached for comment.
The tank was said to be filled with 25 tonnes of chlorine destined for Djibouti.
Reuters reported that the Civil Defense service reported specialised teams were dealing with the leak and that state television reported evacuation planes were sent to Aqaba.
The Guardian reported that the city's health director, Jamal Obeidat, said the hospitals were full and that those being tended to were in “medium to critical condition”.
