The Doukkala-Abda district in Morocco announced a gas leak Sunday morning November 7 at a phosphoric acid production site 350km south of Rabat. Officials from the district authorities were quoted in the local Moroccan press as saying that the gas leak reached Aït Baâmrane, a village 1 km from the Maroc Chimie factory and caused respiratory difficulties in 12 separate cases, which were all treated by local health officials.
Maroc Chimie blamed adverse climate conditions and a change in the production process. Local health services helped stem the leak.
Phosphates are one of Morocco's main sources of foreign currency and a major export item. (albawaba.com)
