Horrifying moment toxic gas floods port killing 12 after crane dropped tank
A shocking video has emerged of a crane dropping 25 tonnes of toxic gas onto a ship by accident.
At least 12 people were killed and 260 people injured after hazardous materials leaked at the Aqaba port in Jordan on Monday (June 27).
CCTV video released by state-owned Al Mamlaka TV shows the container being lifted into air and transported by a crane before it drops, unleashing a huge plume of yellow, gaseous material onto a ship.
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The entire area is soon engulfed by the yellow gas while workers and drivers are seen fleeing the area.
The incident was reported to Jordan's Civil Defense and teams of experts in hazmat suits, were spotted at the site on state TV.
A Public Security Directorate spokesperson said the area has been quarantined.
They confirmed that 45 people who injured from the incident were from the public security sector including police, Gendamerie Cadres First Responders and civil defense who attended the scene at the first moments.
Out of the deceased, eight people were confirmed as Jordanians and the remaining four people are of different nationalities, according to the government.
Jamal Obeidat, head of the Aqaba Health Directorate, said nearby hospitals treating injured people after the incident reached full capacity.
He said field hospitals would be deployed and instructed Aqaba residents to close their windows and remain indoors.
Air evacuation planes were also dispatched to assist with evacuations.
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Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh arrived in the city and headed to a hospital where some of the injured were being treated.
Muhammad Salman, director general of the Jordan Maritime Commission said: "We asked the ships that were near the area of the tank explosion to stay away from the area immediately."
Aqaba is a popular tourist resort, located on the Red Sea.
The incident has alarmed many tourists, but Tourism Commissioner Nidal Al Magali said in a statement that the impact of the gas spread was currently limited due to slow winds.
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