5 Sentenced Over Fatal 2022 Chlorine Gas Leak at Jordan’s Aqaba Port

A Jordanian court on Sunday imposed a three-year prison sentence on five individuals in relation to a lethal chlorine gas leak that occurred at the southern port of Aqaba in 2022, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

The convicted individuals, four executives and one worker, are all associated with the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management. The Aqaba Court of First Instance also found the company guilty and mandated it to pay a fine of 3,000 Jordanian dinars ($4,234).

The toxic gas leak, which took place on June 27, 2022, claimed the lives of 13 people, including five foreigners. The incident occurred when a metallic cable lifting a storage tank filled with 25 tons of chlorine snapped, causing the tank to plummet onto the deck of a ship docked at the port.

An ensuing investigation revealed that the primary cause of the disaster was the cable’s inability to handle the weight of the cargo, leading to its rupture.