22 Aqaba Ports personnel discharged from hospital after dust inhalation

AMMAN — Twenty-two people working for the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management (ACPOM) were discharged from Prince Hashem Military Hospital in Aqaba after suffering respiratory problems due to dust inhalation at their workplace, Aqaba Governor Kaheld Hajjaj said on Tuesday.  

Hajjaj confirmed that ammonia gas was not the cause of the workers' respiratory problems, and that the injuries were mild to moderate. 

Civil defence teams rushed to the scene and transported the injured to Prince Hashem Military Hospital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Taghrid Al Maytah, Director of the Environment Directorate at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), confirmed that the cases in the southern industrial area involved workers on ships who were affected by dust that spread by strong winds coming from Mediterranean storm named “Daniel”. 

ASEZA issued a statement confirming that it reviewed readings from the air quality control station in the southern ports, which showed all gas readings were within Jordanian specifications and permissible limits, except for slight increases in dust, which exceeded 200 microgrammes per cubic metre, greater than the typical rate in the region. 

The authority’s operations rooms were notified of emissions and gas odours in the port area on the south bank at 12:15am, the statement said..

Citing the forecasts of the Meteorological Department, the authority said that these weather conditions will continue until Thursday, with strong southern winds causing heavy dust, possibly leading to low visibility and a continuous increase in airborne dust levels.