- Port workers in Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba go on strike over toxic gas leak.
- At least 13 people killed and more than 260 injured after tank of chlorine gas fell while being loaded onto ship.
- Prime minister dismisses several port officials accused of “negligence” in connection with incident.
Hundreds of port workers in Jordan went on strike on Sunday after the prime minister announced the dismissal of several officials accused of “negligence” in connection with a deadly gas leak.
Last Monday, a tank of chlorine gas fell while being loaded by crane onto a ship in Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba, releasing the toxic substance.
At least 13 people, including five Vietnamese nationals, were killed and more than 260 others injured, according to the latest official toll.
“The port workers are striking in protest over the weak safety measures at the port which led to the death and injury of several of their colleagues,” union representative Ahmed Amayreh said.
About “95 percent of the 2,300” Aqaba port workers participated in the strike, he told AFP.
Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh said Sunday that an investigation showed “great deficiency and negligence in safety measures for dealing with hazardous materials in the Aqaba port”.
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