Seven workers are dead after a toxic gas leak at a ship recycling yard in Bangladesh, according to Splash247, in an incident that places a Hong Kong Convention-authorised facility under renewed safety scrutiny.
Seven workers have been reported dead after a toxic gas leak at a ship recycling yard in Bangladesh.
The accident
The leak occurred on Friday morning at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries in Bhatiyari, Sitakunda, a facility authorised under the International Maritime Organization's Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling, Splash247 reported. Initial reports described an explosion, but Chattogram police said the casualties were caused by toxic gas escaping from a tank aboard a vessel being dismantled at the yard.
The vessel has been identified locally as an LNG carrier nearing the end of the dismantling process. Yard officials said liquid waste had been discovered in part of the ship before a safety officer and other workers went to inspect the area, according to Splash247.
Casualties and emergency response
Local news agency UNB reported that two workers died at the yard and another five subsequently died at Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Several more workers were taken ill in the incident.
| Reported location | Fatalities | Source |
|---|---|---|
| At the yard | 2 | UNB via Splash247 |
| Chattogram Medical College Hospital | 5 | UNB via Splash247 |
| Total reported | 7 | Splash247 |
Investigation under way
Bangladesh's Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments has launched an investigation into the cause of the leak and whether adequate safety measures were in place, according to Splash247. The investigation follows the police determination that toxic gas, rather than an explosion as initially reported, caused the deaths.
Regulatory framework
Ferdous Steel's authorisation from the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board under the Hong Kong Convention runs until October 2030. The convention, which entered into force in June last year, introduced mandatory global requirements covering safety and environmental standards at ship recycling facilities, Splash247 reported.
Implications for shippers and operators
The yard is part of the Ziri Subedar Group, which has suffered a number of serious accidents at its Sitakunda recycling operations over the years, Splash247 reported. For freight forwarders, ocean carriers and shipowners whose end-of-life tonnage is processed through Hong Kong Convention-certified recyclers, the incident underscores the mandatory safety and environmental requirements that now apply globally to ship recycling facilities under the convention.
Watch list
- The cause of the toxic gas leak and whether adequate safety measures were in place, as under investigation by Bangladesh's Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.
- Condition updates on the several more workers taken ill, reported by local agency UNB.
- The role of the LNG carrier being dismantled and the tank from which toxic gas is said to have escaped, as identified by Chattogram police and yard officials.
- The status of Ferdous Steel's Hong Kong Convention authorisation, which runs until October 2030.
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