All visible traces of Aqaba oil spill removed — authorities

AMMAN — All visible traces of the oil spill at the Aqaba container terminal have been successfully cleaned, according to authorities.

“The area will continue to be monitored to deal with small traces of the polluting matter which might have been scattered by air and ocean currents,” Executive Director of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Mohammad Tawaha told The Jordan Times. 

While weather in Aqaba has affected the cleaning process, the low density of the oil allows it to float on the surface, making it “somewhat” easy to clean, he added. 

General Manager of the Jordan Maritime Commission (JMC) Noman Saifi noted that the response to the hazard has been “quick and efficient”, ensuring no major threat to marine life.

“Cleaning efforts are ongoing to deal with residues of the spill which might have mixed with sand and derbis, or settled under the docks surrounding the area,” he told The Jordan Times. 

According to Saifi, the preliminary results of the ongoing judicial investigation indicate that the source of the pollution was a technical failure on a Palauan merchant vessel importing fertilisers from Jordan.