Gas Leak in Gabès Hospitalizes 30 Students Amid Ongoing Environmental Crisis
December 1, 2025284 VuesTemps de lecture: 2 minutes
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In Gabès, a province in southeastern Tunisia, a gas leak from a local chemical plant has resulted in the hospitalization of approximately 30 students. The incident, which has drawn public outrage, underscores the persistent environmental and health crisis affecting the area.
Local media reported that the affected students were transported to a regional hospital by civil protection units for necessary medical attention. This incident is part of a troubling pattern, as residents have been vocal about the dangers posed by industrial pollution in the region.
Legal Actions and Public Protests
This event occurred shortly after the Gabès Court of First Instance reviewed an urgent request from local lawyers aimed at suspending operations at the polluting plant. Over the past two months, residents have staged numerous protests demanding the factory's closure, while the government has announced plans to upgrade the facility to reduce gas emissions and improve the local environmental situation.
Government and Presidential Response
The Tunisian presidency and government have pledged to seek urgent solutions to the pollution issue, initiating projects to lower emissions and enhance environmental conditions. The president has also tasked a specialized committee with developing sustainable solutions for Gabès.
Environmental and Economic Dilemma
Despite these initiatives, residents and civil society organizations continue to call for the plant's closure or relocation to non-residential areas. They are also advocating for the enforcement of a 2017 government decision prohibiting the dumping of "phosphogypsum" into the sea and the establishment of new industrial units that comply with environmental safety standards.
Tunisian officials face a challenging dilemma: balancing the community's demands for a healthier environment with the need to maintain a phosphate plant that is a critical industrial asset, providing thousands of jobs and contributing to fertilizer self-sufficiency and export revenues.
Local media reported that the affected students were transported to a regional hospital by civil protection units for necessary medical attention. This incident is part of a troubling pattern, as residents have been vocal about the dangers posed by industrial pollution in the region.
Legal Actions and Public Protests
This event occurred shortly after the Gabès Court of First Instance reviewed an urgent request from local lawyers aimed at suspending operations at the polluting plant. Over the past two months, residents have staged numerous protests demanding the factory's closure, while the government has announced plans to upgrade the facility to reduce gas emissions and improve the local environmental situation.
Government and Presidential Response
The Tunisian presidency and government have pledged to seek urgent solutions to the pollution issue, initiating projects to lower emissions and enhance environmental conditions. The president has also tasked a specialized committee with developing sustainable solutions for Gabès.
Environmental and Economic Dilemma
Despite these initiatives, residents and civil society organizations continue to call for the plant's closure or relocation to non-residential areas. They are also advocating for the enforcement of a 2017 government decision prohibiting the dumping of "phosphogypsum" into the sea and the establishment of new industrial units that comply with environmental safety standards.
Tunisian officials face a challenging dilemma: balancing the community's demands for a healthier environment with the need to maintain a phosphate plant that is a critical industrial asset, providing thousands of jobs and contributing to fertilizer self-sufficiency and export revenues.
