Eleven injured in ammonia gas leak at Jordan's Aqaba industrial complex


(Corrects correspondent name ⁠in reporting line; no change in text)

AMMAN, ⁠Sept 14 (Reuters) - Eleven people were injured in an ‌ammonia gas leak at an industrial complex in Jordan's southern city of Aqaba on Monday, an official told Reuters.

Authorities evacuated ​the southern port as a ⁠precaution following the leak, ⁠state TV reported.

The commissioner for environment and public safety ⁠at ‌the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Nidal Al-Ouran, said the leak had been ⁠contained and that the injuries ranged from ​minor to ‌moderate.

He said the incident occurred during maintenance work ⁠on an ​old pump or pressure equipment in the southern industrial area of Aqaba, away from residential areas. Ammonia ⁠gas that had accumulated in the ​equipment leaked in a small quantity, he said.

Without naming it, Al-Ouran said the maintenance work was being ⁠carried out for a Japanese company.

Workers would be allowed to return to their sites after teams from the authority and other relevant agencies carried out ​another inspection, took the necessary ⁠measurements and confirmed there were no remaining risks, he ​said.

(Reporting by Hiba Issawi and ‌Jehad Abu Shalbak in Amman, ​Nayera Abdallah and Eman Abouhassira in Dubai Editing by David Goodman and Barbara Lewis)

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