Eleven people have suffered breathing difficulties after an ammonia gas leak at an industrial complex in the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba.
The leak occurred on Monday, September 14, during maintenance work on an old pump or pressure system at the industrial complex, according to Nidal Al-Ouran, Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.
Al-Ouran said the maintenance work disturbed a previously accumulated quantity of ammonia inside the equipment, resulting in a small release of gas. The leak was contained shortly after it occurred.
The 11 people affected suffered mild to moderate inhalation injuries, with some treated at the industrial complex’s medical clinic and others taken to hospital.
Authorities temporarily evacuated Aqaba’s southern port as a precaution after the leak was detected.
The Aqaba port operator activated its emergency response plan and evacuated personnel from the port facilities while emergency and safety teams assessed the situation.
Officials said subsequent air-quality and environmental measurements in the southern area remained within normal levels, indicating that the leak had been contained and had not resulted in a wider contamination incident.
Al-Ouran said workers would only be allowed to return to their sites after specialist teams completed further inspections and confirmed that there was no remaining danger.
The incident took place while workers were carrying out maintenance on older equipment at the industrial complex.
According to Al-Ouran, the work was being undertaken for a Japanese company, while the equipment involved was located within the industrial complex. The precise cause of the release remains under investigation.
Jordan’s authorities said emergency services and security agencies responded to the incident and confirmed technically that the leak had been brought under control.