Israel offers Jordan aid as Aqaba hospitals fill up

Israel is offering Jordan help in dealing with a toxic blast at the Red Sea port of Aqaba that killed at least 10 people and injured 200 more, Defense Minister Benny Gantz says.

“As we’ve told our friends in Jordan, the Israeli defense establishment is ready to assist with any effort, by any means necessary,” he says in a statement.

He offers condolences for the dead and well wishes for the wounded.

Footage on state TV showed a large cylinder plunging from a crane on a moored vessel, causing a violent release of a yellow gas.

The force of the blast sent a truck rolling down the harborside, while port workers could be seen running for their lives.

The injured are transported to two state hospitals, one private facility and a field hospital.

Aqaba health director Jamal Obeidat says that hospitals in the area, just across the Gulf of Aqaba from Eilat, are full and “cannot receive more cases.”

“The injured people are in medium to critical condition,” he adds.

Jordan civil defense spokesman Amer al-Sartawy says that “specialists and the hazardous substances team in the civil defense are dealing” with the incident.