Hundreds injured, 13 dead from chlorine gas blast at Aqaba port

At least 13 people have died and around 260 have been injured following a toxic gas leak at Jordan’s Aqaba port.

A tank filled with 25 tons of chlorine gas due to head to Djibouti fell whilst being transported.

Jordanian state TV imagery depicts a crane hoisting the tank from a truck, the tank falling and exploding onto the deck of a ship.

State media noted on Monday 27 June evening that 123 of the injured are in local hospitals for chemical exposure, with some reportedly in critical condition.

Chlorine is a common disinfectant and water purification chemical. The gas is pressurized and cooled for shipment – producing a green-yellow gas when punctured.

When chlorine is swallowed, inhaled, or comes into contact with skin, the agent reacts with water that damages cells in the body.

At the port, grain silos have halted work to allow for inspection of grains and for signs of contamination.

Maritime traffic at Aqaba port continues.

Earlier in June a fire broke out at a storage depot near the city of Chittagong, Bangladesh has caused a massive explosion, killing 49 people.

Following the explosion, shipping giant Maersk has reported that the logistics ecosystem at Chittagong is under extreme inland pressure.