Shipbreaking before releasing toxic gas kills 9 in Sitakunda

Families grieve two workers who died after inhaling toxic gas while breaking a ship at Sitakunda Shipbreaking yard on Friday morning.

At least nine workers died and several others fell sick after reportedly inhaling gas that authorities suspect was toxic, leaked from a scrap vessel at a shipbreaking yard in Bhatiary of Sitakunda, Chattogram, on Friday morning.

The incident took place at around 8:30am at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries in the Station Road area of Bhatiary union, Fire Service officials said.

Taufiqul Islam Bhuiyan, acting deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Chattogram, told the media that the scrap vessel in question was an old LNG carrier and that the accident may have occurred because hazardous gases inside the ship’s pipes were not properly removed before cutting began.

While the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association has formed a five-member probe committee, finance and planning minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government will also investigate the incident and take action based on its findings.

Maritime safety experts said such accidents could be prevented by testing for and removing gases before dismantling a vessel. Condemning the lack of safety, workers’ bodies have demanded stern action against the yard owner and compensation for the victims.

The deceased were identified by local police as Mohammad Mansur, 55, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, 51, Mohammad Abdul Alim Sujon, 36, Mohammad Rana Mia, 23, Habibur Rahman, 51, Palash Das, 35, Sani Das, 23, Mohammad Khokon Mia, 23, and Sharif.

Ala Uddin, a sub-inspector at the CMCH police outpost, said that initially, five workers were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Four more workers were brought to the hospital later and doctors declared three of them dead as well.

Sharif, another sick worker, was later reported dead at Chattogram National Hospital, he added.

According to locals, the workers were carrying out cutting and dismantling work aboard the scrap vessel when they noticed gas leaking from a tank, shortly after which several of them fell ill and lost consciousness.

Taufiqul Islam Bhuiyan said Kumira Fire Service received the information at around 10:50am and sent two units with ambulances to the yard. 

‘After reaching the yard, we found three workers dead and others in ailing condition. We rescued the sick workers and sent them to Chattogram Medical College Hospital,’ he said. 

‘Before dismantling an old ship, it has to be made free of any toxic gas. There may have been chlorine or carbon monoxide gas trapped inside the vessel. These are highly toxic gases,’ the official added.

The vessel was identified as the M/V RASI, an LNG tanker with IMO number 9176008. Built in 2000, the vessel is 280 metres long and 43 metres wide, with a light displacement tonnage of 23,761 tonnes and a deadweight of 93,769 tonnes.

Abul Kalam, a local worker who took part in the rescue operation, said they went to the yard after learning about the gas leak but were initially not allowed to enter.

‘We later heard that workers were dying from the gas leak and that no one was there to rescue them. We then forced our way into the yard to help with the rescue operation,’ he said, adding that chemicals inside the vessel should have been removed much earlier but were not cleared in time.

‘The authorities allowed some inexperienced workers to carry out the work on a day when the yard was closed. There was no safety team present at the site. The workers were not given adequate safety equipment, not even masks,’ Kalam said.

Meanwhile, finance and planning minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury while visiting the injured workers at CMCH at around 3:30pm said an investigation committee would be formed and action would be taken based on its findings.

‘There is no question of taking sides. The government’s responsibility is to investigate and establish the facts,’ he said.

The minister said the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association would provide Tk 10 lakh to each of the victims’ families and that the government would also provide assistance.

He said an Army team had gone to the site to help stop the gas emission.

Khosru also said the government was emphasising compliance in industrial workplaces and that the investigation would examine whether there had been any shortcomings in meeting safety requirements.

The Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association has formed a five-member committee with BSBRA members and technical experts to investigate the cause of the accident, according to a letter signed by BSBRA president M Mohsin Chowdhury.

BSBRA technical adviser Capt Anam Chowdhury has been made convener of the committee, while BSBRA acting secretary Nazmul Islam has been made member secretary.

The other members are BSBRA adviser M Naim Shah Imran, technical consultant Capt Sirajul Mawla and engineer Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of HR Ship Management Ltd.

The committee has been asked to conduct the investigation on an urgent basis.

According to the data of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, at least three workers were killed and 38 injured in accidents at Sitakunda shipbreaking yards between July and December 2025.

Md Anam Chowdhury, an expert in maritime safety, told New Age that Friday’s incident appeared to have been caused by exposure to toxic gas, although the exact source should be determined through an investigation. 

He said the vessel was LNG-based and that contaminated water around its tanks may have released residual gas when discharged. Depending on their concentration, gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide can cause serious health effects.

He said such accidents could be prevented through proper safety measures, including gas testing and removal before a vessel is dismantled. 

‘Workers entering potentially hazardous areas should also be equipped with emergency oxygen masks capable of supplying oxygen for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing them to leave the area without inhaling toxic gas,’ Anam Chowdhury added.  – Chattogram representative