Five officials handed jail time over Aqaba’s deadly chlorine gas leak

AMMAN — The Aqaba Court of First Instance on Sunday sentenced five officials to three years in prison each in a criminal case over last June’s toxic chlorine gas leak in Aqaba, which resulted in 13 deaths and 110 injuries.

The court also acquitted five other officials standing trial in the same case for lack of evidence, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Ten defendants stood trial on charges of causing death, causing harm and damage against another’s property, as well as for violations of the management system of hazardous materials and waste issued under the Environment Protection Act.

The court also found the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management (ACPOM) guilty of several charges, and ordered the establishment to pay JD3,000 in fines, according to Petra.

The victims of the vessel involved in the June 27 accident, which is registered in Hong Kong, included eight Jordanians and five Vietnamese crew members.

The court indicated in its ruling that the procedures followed in relation to the shipment of chlorine gas were not commensurate with the seriousness of the substance.

In terms of public safety procedures, the court ruled that the individuals in charge of providing follow-up and close supervision of the loading and unloading operations did so insufficiently.

The verdict is subject to appeal at a higher court by the defendants.

The government announced in early July 2022 that the main cause of the toxic gas leak at the Aqaba port was the lack of conformity of the metallic cable to the weight of the cargo, snapping the cable.

The government also said that a report of the incident showed a lack of necessary public safety precautions in handling such hazardous items.

The investigation also showed that some officials delegated tasks to untrained personnel, pointing to "negligence and lack of precautionary measures",according to government officials.

Shortly following the disastrous incident, the government terminated the services of several officials, including the Directors General of the Jordan Maritime Commission and the ACPOM, and other officials at the company. The Cabinet also approved a decision to dissolve thecompany’s board of directors.