AMMAN —
Minister of Interior Mazen Al-Faraya said
Sunday that the direct cause of the chlorine gas leak in Aqaba was an
overburdened cable used to lift the tank. The tank, containing liquefied
chorine, was three times heavier than the carrying capacity of the cable, the
minister said at a press conference held at the Prime Ministry.
اضافة اعلان
The
investigation into the incident was referred to the Public Prosecutor, who will
take the necessary legal action.
At least 20
tonnes of chlorine escaped when the cable snapped on a crane loading the tank
onto a ship, sending it crashing to the ground on the dockside.
The force of the
fall punctured the pressurized container, enveloping the vessel in a bright
yellow gas. Thirteen people, including eight Jordanians were killed, and
another 250 were injured in the June 29 incident.
The minister
said that the initial investigation had proved that safety measures for
handling dangerous materials at the New Aqaba Port had been flaunted.
Faraya said that
the Cabinet had approved the termination of the directors general of the
Jordanian Maritime Authority and the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and
Management, as well as a number of other officials at the company.
The Cabinet also
dissolved the
Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management’s board of
directors, which will be reconstituted at a later date.
“The
investigation proved the responsibility of the general manager of the Aqaba
Company for Ports Operation and Management, the director of the company’s
operations department, the head of the unloading and loading department, the
head of the unloading and loading shift, and the captain of the ship at the
time of the accident, among others,” Faraya told reporters.
The tank, containing liquefied chorine, was three times heavier than the carrying capacity of the cable. ...
Investigators
also determined that certain tasks had been assigned to insufficiently
specialized staff, which led to “recklessness” and “negligence”, he said.
The
investigation committee sought to achieve three goals, according to the
minster. Firstly, establish the truth behind the events; secondly, identify
negligent parties and recommend appropriate punishments; and thirdly, identify
weaknesses in the system and present recommendations to address them, according
to Faraya.
Additionally,
the committee sought to reassure the public that the state was tackling the
issue seriously to prevent similar incidents in the future, he said.
The committee
also inspected hospitals, warehouses belonging to the port operator, and the
container port itself, the minister said.
It also
questioned company officials, as well as everyone concerned with container
handling, public safety, and equipment, he said, adding that the committee had
also accepted expert testimonies as it deemed appropriate.
Furthermore, the
Department of Criminal Evidence and Laboratories submitted a technical report
on the incident.
The Aqaba investigation
committee comprised the deputy governor of Aqaba, a rapporteur, the chief
commissioner of the Tourism and Environment in the
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Aqaba’s police director, the commander of the Royal Jordanian Navy,
the director of intelligence for Aqaba, and the director of the Civil Defense
Department.
Read more National news
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
