“We asked the ships that were near the area of the tank explosion to stay away from the area immediately,” Director General Muhammad Salman said.

Aqaba port at the northern tip of the Red Sea has long been a major transit route for Iraqi imports and exports, and sits next to the Israeli city of Eilat, just across the border. Both are popular beach and diving destinations.

Specialised teams are still dealing with the leak, the Civil Defence service said on its Facebook page. Evacuation planes were being sent into Aqaba, according to state television.

Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh arrived at Aqaba and headed to a hospital where some of the injured were being treated, state TV reported.