Jordan govt blames lack of safety measures for gas leak

 

The tragic gas leak in Aqaba last week was attributed by the Jordanian government on Sunday to a lack of safety precautions. A crane dropped a chlorine tank in the Red Sea port of Aqaba, where it burst, sending a huge plume of toxic yellow smoke into the air, killing 13 people in total and injuring 250 more.

A tank carrying 25 tons of chlorine gas that was being transferred to Djibouti toppled while being transported, causing the catastrophe. Jordan's interior minister, Mazen Al-Faraya, revealed the findings of the investigation into the tragic gas leak incident and claimed that the failure of the metal wire supporting the gas tank to support its weight was what caused the mishap.

Al-Faraya stated that the tank's weight was "three times more than the cable load capacity" during a press briefing on Sunday.

Al-Faraya added that as the gas tank was being loaded onto the vehicle, the necessary safety precautions for handling such a hazardous chemical were not in place. The safety attendant was not on board the ship, according to the minister, to inspect the loading and unloading protocols and procedures.

Al-Faraya announced that the prosecutor-general would be given the report about the Aqaba gas leak for additional investigation. The state institutions' response to the crisis, according to Faisal Shboul, minister of state for media affairs, was "professional and immediate," which led to the gas leak being controlled and the situation being brought under control.

In addition, he praised the "excellent efficiency" of the Aqaba healthcare system, noting that just eight of the accident's victims were now receiving care.

According to the inquiry team's recommendations, the Cabinet recommended the dismissal of the directors of the Jordan Maritime Commission, the Aqaba Company for Port Operation and Management, and other officials, according to Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh.

Khasawneh, who presided over a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, also attributed the gas leak on the lack of the necessary safety precautions. The government's prompt and competent response to the event, according to the premier in a statement to Arab News, "has substantially helped lessen the calamity and its implications on the port city and its citizens."

He declared that the king's orders for the government to launch a thorough investigation into the occurrence had been carried out. King Abdullah II of Jordan has demanded that those culpable for the fatal gas spill be held accountable.

The king "stressed the need to provide transparent explanations to the public after investigations conclude, as well as identifying shortcomings and holding those responsible to account by law," according to a report from last Tuesday's meeting at the National Center for Security and Crisis Management.

Employees at the port of Aqaba have been holding a sit-in in response to the tragic gas leak, calling for improved living and working conditions.