AMMAN, Jordan — A poisonous gas leak in Jordan’s southern port city of Aqaba on Monday killed at least 10 people and injured some 250, the authorities said.
Video carried by state-run media outlets showed a crane hoisting a large tanker from a truck and then dropping it on the deck of a ship, causing an explosion of yellow smoke and sending dock workers racing away.
The Public Security Directorate said a gas tank sprung a leak while being transported. It did not identify the contents of the tanker.
The agency said the authorities sealed off the area after evacuating the injured to hospitals and sent specialists in to address the situation.
The directorate put the number of dead at 10 people and the number injured at 251. State-run al-Mamlaka TV said 199 people were still being treated in hospitals.
Dr. Jamal Obeidat, a local health official, urged people to stay inside and close windows and doors. The nearest residential area is about 15 miles away.
Aqaba is on the northern tip of the Red Sea, next to the Israeli city of Eilat, which is just across the border. Both are popular beach and diving destinations. There were no reports of injuries or contamination in Eilat.
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