Nine people have died following a suspected toxic gas exposure incident aboard a vessel being dismantled at a ship-breaking yard in Sitakunda, on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s south-eastern Chattogram seaport city, according to Xinhua.
The incident took place at around 9:00 am local time on 14 August, with several other workers injured.
Md Alamgir, an inspector at the local Sitakunda Police Station, said: “Two more bodies were found at the yard at around 2:30 p.m. local time after six deaths had already been confirmed there.” Another injured worker later died at a private hospital in Chattogram. Some of the injured were rushed to hospital before police arrived, and the total number of casualties could not be immediately confirmed.
Citing eyewitnesses and firefighters, the police official said workers were most likely killed and injured after toxic gas spread inside the vessel.
The workers had been engaged in cleaning and maintenance work aboard the ship when they detected gas leaking from a tank.
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Mohammed Mohsin Chowdhury, President of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), said efforts were underway to airlift at least two critically injured workers to Dhaka by helicopter for advanced treatment.
The Bangladeshi government has formed a committee to investigate, and operations at the yard have been suspended until further notice.
Some vessels in Sitakunda are reportedly dismantled on open tidal mudflats without adequate safety or environmental controls. Known as beaching, the practice exposes workers to toxic gases, heavy metals and falling steel, contributing to high rates of injury and death.
Sitakunda’s beaches have become one of the world’s largest ship-breaking hubs in recent years. Shipping companies worldwide continue to send end-of-life vessels there for scrap.
