More than 50 workers treated after ammonia leak at Basra fertilizer plant

BASRA — More than 50 workers at the state-run Southern Fertilizer General Company in Basra’s Khor al-Zubair suffered breathing difficulties following an ammonia gas leak on Sunday evening, a security source told 964media, prompting the evacuation of employees and residents of nearby homes.

The source said the affected workers, who were on the evening shift, were taken to local hospitals following the leak.

Emergency teams brought the leak under control, while employees and residents near the plant were evacuated as a precaution, the source said.

Civil Defense teams from Khor al-Zubair, Al-Zubair, Safwan and Umm Qasr responded to the incident and brought the leak under control.

Similar ammonia gas leaks were reported elsewhere. In January 2026, police and civil defense teams rescued 19 workers after they were trapped inside the Rassoul Al-Khair asphalt plant in the Khalis district following an ammonia gas leak, while two workers died from suffocation, authorities said.