AQABA: A toxic gas leak in Jordan’s southern port city of Aqaba on Monday killed at least 10 people and injured 251, said Faisal al-Shaboul, a government spokesman.
The leak came after a tank filled with toxic gas fell while being transported, state news agency Petra said, citing the spokesperson of the Public Security Directorate.
The directorate said authorities sealed off the area after evacuating the injured to hospitals and sent specialists in to deal with the leak. Al-Mamlaka TV said 199 were still being treated in hospitals.
Dr Jamal Obeidat, a local health official, urged people to stay inside and close windows and doors. The nearest residential area is 25km away.
A video posted on state television’s Twitter page showed a storage tank falling from a winch and slamming into the deck of a ship, followed by yellow-coloured gas rising into the air as people ran away. –Agencies
