Two Dead, 10 Rescued, 50 Injured in Ammonia Gas Leak at Basra Fertilizer Plant

Al Jazeera

Civil Defence teams gathered to help victims.

Iraq’s Civil Defence Directorate said on Sunday that two workers had died, 10 people were rescued and around 50 others were injured following an ammonia gas leak at the Southern Fertilizer Company in the Khor Al-Zubair area of Basra Governorate.

In a statement, the directorate said civil defence teams, including rescue units and a specialised Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response team, had brought the incident under control.

The teams rescued 10 employees from the company’s facilities and recovered the bodies of two workers who died in the incident. Around 50 people suffering from suffocation were also treated and transported by Civil Defence and Ministry of Health ambulances to receive medical care.

According to the statement, preliminary assessments indicated that the incident was caused by an accidental ammonia gas leak. Specialised teams secured the site and took the necessary measures to fully contain the situation.



PUKMEDIA