An ammonia gas leak at an industrial plant in southern Iraq at the weekend killed at least two workers and injured dozens, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
The incident occurred at a state-run fertiliser factory in the southern province of Basra. At least 114 people were injured, but most had since left hospital, ministry spokesman Saif Al Badr said in a statement. There were still 21 in hospital, with one in critical condition, he added.
Minister of Industry and Minerals Mohammed Nouri ordered a special committee to conduct an investigation into the cause of the leak.
Basra Governor Asaad Al Eidani said the situation at the plant was under control after an explosion, with gas supplies shut off and pumps secured before they could cause a further blast. “The gas cloud has begun to dissipate and there is currently no danger threatening the area,” he told the Iraqi News Agency.
He said that some of those who suffered serious injuries risked their lives to turn off the pumps. Failure to shut them down could have caused a massive explosion, he added.
Abbas Maher, Mayor of Al Zubair district, where the plant is located, told the agency that residents of nearby neighbourhoods were among those injured.
Basra holds the bulk of the country's oil wealth. The province accounts for at least 70 per cent of Iraq's crude reserves and output and nearly all of its exports, with giant fields including Rumaila, West Qurna and Zubair feeding terminals in the Gulf.
Industrial safety remains a concern in Iraq, where security and safety measures at industrial plants are often described as inconsistent. Oversight, training and emergency response capacity vary widely between sites and many operate with ageing equipment.
Officials typically blame incidents on several issues, including technical faults, a lack of maintenance and, in some cases, sabotage or negligence.
