8 people arrested in Aqaba gas leak in Jordan
The Public Prosecutor’s Office continued its investigation procedures into the chlorine gas leak case and heard the testimonies of 25 people who were present at the docking port, as well as hearing 135 other testimonies in the course of previous investigations.
At least 13 people were killed and more than 260 injured after a tank of chlorine gas fell while being loaded with a crane onto a ship in Aqaba on June 27, releasing the toxic substance.
Secretary General of the Jordanian Judicial Council, Walid Kanakreeh, said the PPO-elected technical committee presented its report on the toxic gas incident, which revealed that one of the main causes behind the tragedy was the “insufficient assessment” “risk and the lack of thorough handling of containers filled with highly dangerous materials.
He said the report showed “accumulated” negligence at Aqaba port operating units, “incorrect” installation of the container’s wire and inability to calculate handling times.
Kanakreeh, who is also the council’s media spokesperson, said the offenses of the eight accused also included violating hazardous materials handling instructions issued under Jordan’s environmental protection law.
He said the prosecutor had decided to arrest the eight people pending the investigation, adding that the investigation is “ongoing and in its final stages”.
