• Five individuals sentenced to three years in prison for gas leak incident at Aqaba port.
• Incident resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to 260 others.
• Five individuals acquitted in the trial due to lack of evidence.

Five individuals have been sentenced to three years in prison by a Jordanian court for their involvement in a gas leak incident at the port of Aqaba.

The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, when a tank of chlorine gas fell while being loaded onto a ship, resulting in the tragic deaths of 13 people, including eight Jordanians and five Vietnamese.

Additionally, 260 individuals were injured. The convicted individuals include the heads of operations at the state-owned port, the public safety department, the chief of loading and unloading operations, the loading shift leader, and another port employee.

In the trial that began in July, five other individuals were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The defendants faced charges related to negligence and security failings concerning the gas leak incident.

A government investigation revealed that the weight of the gas tank exceeded the maximum load capacity of the crane cable used for loading. Aqaba, being Jordan’s sole maritime gateway and a crucial transit point for its imports and exports, holds significant importance.