Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr al-Khasawneh indicated that “there is no concentration of chlorine gas in Aqaba” while inspecting the site of the crash and explosion of a chlorine gas tanker in the port of Aqaba. He also stressed that “traffic in the port is going on as usual, with the exception of berth No. 4, where an accident and an explosion of a tanker occurred.”

A government crisis center statement on Monday evening said “chlorine gas leaked into the port of Aqaba as a result of the fall and explosion of a tanker carrying the substance,” noting that “12 people were killed and 260 were injured, including Jordanians and foreigners.”

However, Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Faisal al-Shbool, announced today: “The death toll has risen to 13 and there are currently 123 injured in hospitals.”

Al-Khasawneh, who is in the coastal city of Aqaba (328km south of Amman), said in statements to the official Al-Mamlaka channel: “While the situation is under control, we have decided to keep an isolated distance. four kilometers at the accident site for additional hours”, noting that “according to experts, there is no risk of gas penetration into residential areas”.

He continued: “I have instructed Interior Minister Mazen al-Farai to lead an investigation team, which includes all the competent authorities, to find out exactly what happened in this unfortunate accident and to ensure the highest level of public safety for our children working in ports, and a dedication to safety measures when handling hazardous materials.”

For his part, the interior minister confirmed that “work will resume in all ports of Aqaba from this morning, except for pier number 4, to allow the route to be secure once and for all.”

The city of Aqaba is the only seaport in the Kingdom, through which most of Jordan’s imports and exports pass, one of the main ports of the Red Sea region and an important tourist site of the country.