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Chlorine gas explosion kills at least 10, injures hundreds (VIDEO) — Analysis

A falling tank burst and filled the Jordanian port at Aqaba, Jordan, with dense yellow gas.

On Monday, a chlorine gas explosion at Aqaba (Jordan) killed 10 and left 250 others injured. The explosion occurred when a propane tank was dropped from a crane.

Jamal Obediat, chief of Aqaba Health Department, announced casualty numbers on state TV. He warned that they could increase. This is how the situation looks “critical,”Obediat advised residents to stay indoors, and shut their windows.

The incident was captured on Jordanian TV. A crane loaded a cylindrical container onto a ship. The crane drops the tank, which explodes as it strikes the ship and releases a yellow cloud.

The port workers are seen running from the scene, while photos taken in the aftermath show the damaged tank on the dock next to the ship.

Officials claimed that 25 tonnes of chlorine was contained in the tanker, which was intended for export. The gaseous chlorine can be highly reactive, and the yellow-colored vapors that it produces can lead to vomiting or respiratory problems if inhaled. Before being replaced by deadly mustard and phosgene gas, chlorine gas was used in World War I as a chemical weapons.

The explosion caused nearby beaches to close and shipping from the port was also halted. State television reported. Faisal al Shboul, Jordanian information minister said the government had sent Aqaba a field hospital as well as medical equipment.

Aqaba sits along Jordan’s border with Israel, with the frontier dividing it from the Israeli city of Eilat. The explosion occurred in the Port of Aqaba on the East Bank of Bay of Aqaba. It is approximately 10km south of both twin cities.

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