Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh announced, on Sunday, that the investigation committee into the gas leak accident in the port of Aqaba, which killed 13 people and injured more than 260 others, has concluded that there is a “significant deficit” in public safety procedures at the port, stressing that the report was referred to the prosecution. general.
A gas leak from a container that fell from the crane of a ship in the port of Aqaba, 328 km south of Amman, on Monday, killed 13 people, including eight Jordanians and five Vietnamese, and injured more than 260.
The Jordanian government formed a team headed by Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya to investigate the incident.
While presiding over a cabinet session, Al-Khasawneh said, “The investigation has proven that there is a great shortcoming and a failure in safety procedures and dealing with dangerous materials in the port of Aqaba, which cannot be tolerated.”
He added, “The investigation team accomplished its mission and prepared a report that includes a set of procedures, including the termination of the services of the Director General of the Ports Management and Operation Company and a group of officials in the company, in addition to the termination of the services of the Director General of the Maritime Authority.”
Al-Khasawneh stated that “the report of the Aqaba incident, in all its details, was referred to the Public Prosecution today (Sunday).”
For his part, Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya, head of the investigation committee, confirmed in a press conference that “the main reason for the accident is the inappropriateness of the metal wire capacity (of the crane) with the weight of the container’s load. The weight of the container was 28,900 tons, which is three times more than the wire’s capacity. 8.6 tons, which led to its interruption.
He added, “It was supposed to load 18 containers of chlorine gas for the ship. Four were loaded, and during the loading of the fifth container, the wire was cut and the container fell, which led to gas leakage, deaths and injuries.”
He explained that “another reason for the accident is the failure to take the necessary precautions for public safety while loading such dangerous materials.”
Al-Faraya confirmed that “the investigation proved assigning some tasks to unspecialized employees, recklessness, negligence and lack of caution,” noting that “the senior and middle leaders in the Aqaba Ports Management and Operation Company do not have leadership practices.”
He continued, “The investigation proved that the general manager of the Aqaba Ports Management and Operation Company, the director of the company’s operations department, the head of the unloading and loading department, the head of the unloading and loading shift, the head of the ship at the time of the accident, and others among others, have responsibility.”
He pointed out that “the committee recommended in its report the restructuring of the Ports Management and Operation Company and rebuilding the capabilities of workers in public safety.”
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