An ammonia gas leak at an industrial complex in Jordan's southern port of Aqaba was brought under control on Monday, with 14 people suffering minor to moderate injuries, state media reported.
Aqaba Governor Ayman Al Awaisheh said the limited leak occurred during routine maintenance at the industrial complex and was brought under immediate control by specialised teams.
On-site personnel acted promptly to close the main valve and stop the leak, Mr Al Awaisheh said.
Four of the 14 injured people were transported to hospitals by Civil Defence teams for treatment, while the remaining cases were treated at clinics inside the complex, he told state TV.
Authorities carried out precautionary evacuations to safe zones within the facility grounds in line with established emergency protocols, without requiring a full-scale evacuation of the area, Mr Al Awaisheh added.
The commissioner for environment and public safety at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Nidal Al Ouran, said earlier that the leak occurred during maintenance work on an old pump or pressure equipment in an industrial area away from residential areas.
A small quantity of ammonia gas that had accumulated in the equipment leaked during the work, Mr Al Ouran said, adding that the maintenance was being carried out for an unidentified Japanese company.
Workers would be allowed to return to their sites after further inspections and measurements to ensure there were no remaining risks, he said.
The Aqaba port is a major energy and logistics hub, with an 1,200km Arab Gas pipeline that connects Egypt with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Another pipeline connecting Jordan and Iraq is at a planning stage.
The pipeline was built to supply Egyptian gas to markets in the Middle East, as well as to Israel through the Arish-Ashqelon pipeline.
The port is Jordan’s main gateway for foreign trade, handling about 80 per cent of the kingdom’s exports and 65 per cent of its imports. It is also a vital trade transit point for Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
