Haifa ammonia tanks risking lives of thousands

Haifa’s ammonia tank and shipping vessels were described as ticking bombs by Israeli academics and the mayor of the city who urged officials to work to relocate them as soon as possible, Arabs48 reported yesterday.

In a report, commissioned by the city’s mayor, Professor Ehud Keinan from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology said that while an attack on the ammonia container itself could lead to the deaths of thousands of residents, an attack on the ships carrying the ammonia around the region could kill hundreds of thousands.

Speaking to the press, Keinan said: “There are four weak points in the ammonia tanks: one in the lower part, two in the upper part and one in the middle,” noting that the two in the lower part are the most dangerous.

Nine professors worked on the report with Keinan.

Mayor of Haifa Yona Yahav said: “The removal of the ammonia tank is not only the longest and most difficult struggle; it is also the most important. This is because the matter is an issue of life and death for a population of a million residents and the danger is here and now.”

“It is time for everyone to do something within their powers and capabilities to eliminate this bomb in our yard,” he added.

Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air causes the immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. It can quickly lead to respiratory distress or failure.