Israel Offers Aid to Jordan Following Aqaba Port Disaster

June 29, 2022

by: JNS

Wednesday, 29 June 2022 | Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday offered assistance to Jordan, following a chlorine gas leak at the Aqaba Port on Monday which killed 13 people and injured 251.

The gas was released when a tank filled with 25 tons of chlorine for export to Djibouti exploded after falling from a crane, according to Reuters.

The Israeli defense establishment “is ready to assist in any way necessary,” said Gantz in a statement, adding that the offer has been transferred “to our Jordanian friends.”

Gantz also tweeted his condolences to Jordan, saying, “Our hearts and thoughts are with those killed and we pray for the recovery of the injured.”

Jordanian state television tweeted a video of the storage tank falling and slamming into a ship deck, sending a cloud of yellowish gas rising into the air. People could be seen fleeing the scene on foot.

When inhaled, chlorine turns into hydrochloric acid, which can lead to internal burns, as well as drowning through a reactionary release of water in the lungs, according to the report.

Posted on June 29, 2022

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on June 28, 2022. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our publication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Ameer Khalifeh/Jordan News/JNS.org