Jordan Launches Probe Into Red Sea Oil Spill

Jordan has launched an investigation into the cause of an oil spill on Sunday in the Gulf of Aqaba, the branch of the Red Sea that is Jordan’s only marine outlet. Authorities are working to contain the spill, off the coast of the Aqaba container terminal, said Nidal Majali, an official with Jordan’s Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, according to the state-run Petra news agency. The oil spill, covering around 700 square meters (about 7,500 square feet), is not considered large, but it polluted fragile coral reefs and damaged equipment of several diving centers, local media reported. The cleanup is expected to be finished in a few hours, Petra reported.