A limited ammonia gas leak in the industrial zone south of Aqaba has put safety back in focus after Monday’s incident injured 11 people, amid parliamentary calls to address the causes of recurring leaks rather than relying solely on response measures after they occur.
Details of the leak and workers’ injuries
Nidal Al-Ouran, commissioner for environmental affairs and public safety at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, said 7 of the injured remained under observation at Prince Hashim Hospital and were expected to leave within hours, while the others were discharged after receiving the necessary care. Al-Ouran said the incident occurred while an old pump containing a small amount of ammonia was being serviced, as taking it out of service caused the gas to accumulate and leak.
He added that the workers’ proximity to the source of the leak caused their injuries despite their adherence to safety procedures. According to Al-Ouran, the leak occurred at 12:10 p.m. and specialist teams brought it under control within minutes. Nearby facilities were also evacuated as a precaution, taking into account wind direction and their proximity to the site.
He said readings from the fixed monitoring station and the mobile laboratory remained normal, and that the leak was limited in scope and caused no environmental pollution. Al-Ouran said work was under way to prepare a legislative framework for public safety, alongside updating emergency plans and training workers on them. He stressed the importance of rapid response, coordination and promoting a safety culture to protect workers, facilities and residents.
Port operations resume after leak contained
Mahmoud Khalifat, director general of the Aqaba Company for Port Management and Operation, announced that handling and unloading operations at the New Aqaba Port had returned to normal after the leak was contained. He said workers had resumed their duties and that operations involving docked ships and truck traffic had resumed after it was confirmed that the sources of danger had been eliminated.
The Jordan Phosphate Mines Company said the incident involved a minor leak of a limited amount of ammonia during maintenance work to remove an old compressor belonging to one of the companies that uses the gas. It stressed that the leak did not come from the ammonia tanks and said the necessary safety measures had been taken to preserve the work environment.
Parliamentary calls to review the safety system
No final report on the incident has been issued so far, and the results of the final verification of safety procedures, or of any observations and violations related to the incident, have not been announced. Lawmaker Lubna Al-Nimr, who represents Aqaba Governorate, said ammonia leaks were not new and that some had been linked in recent years to maintenance work, equipment, or old lines containing residual gas.
She referred to ongoing parliamentary calls to review safety arrangements and warnings about tanks that, she said, should have been replaced 6 years ago because of their deterioration. Al-Nimr said employees and workers at companies and industrial complexes south of Aqaba had filed complaints in 2014 about recurring leaks and called for radical solutions.
She added that an ammonia leak during maintenance work in 2017 caused dozens of workers to suffer suffocation. She also referred to a gas incident in 2018 in which 17 people were injured and an investigation committee was formed, as well as a limited ammonia leak in 2019 at one of the factories in the Al-Durra area that caused 11 people to suffer breathing difficulties.
Al-Nimr said a 2025 mock drill conducted by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and the Aqaba Authority simulating an ammonia leak as part of their annual exercise plans indicated that the scenario was classified as a risk requiring ongoing preparedness. She added: “The question is not how the leak was contained, but why does this leak keep happening in the first place?” She announced that she intended to send a letter to the prime minister on Wednesday calling for urgent intervention and a fundamental solution to the problem.
Residents’ concerns and record of previous incidents
Tareq Al-Nawaisa, an Aqaba resident, said he had experienced more than one previous leak and the fear they caused among residents. He added that he had not been harmed, but chose to move to a more distant area within the city, away from sites where these gases are present.
That incident prompted a review of the safety and monitoring system and the establishment of a monitoring and control center linking industrial, port and logistics facilities to a unified authority. It also unified communication among the ports, security agencies, civil defense, the Aqaba Authority and industrial companies.
