United News of Bangladesh

Eight workers, including two siblings, died and 14 others fell ill after inhaling leaked gas during shipbreaking at a yard in Bhatiary of Sitakunda upazila on Friday morning. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Witnesses said a gas pipeline was accidentally severed while workers were dismantling a ship at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries around 11:15am, located along the Bay of Bengal coast west of Bhatiary Railway Station. Leaked gas spread through the shipbreaking yard, causing several workers to inhale it and fall ill. Locals said two workers died on the spot while 20 others fell sick after inhaling gas. The affected workers were rescued and initially taken to Bhatiary BSBA Hospital. Some of them were later shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where six more died during treatment. The shipbreaking yard, owned by Ziri Subedar Group, witnessed a similar incident on September 16 last year, when eight workers were burnt in an oil tank explosion. In another incident at the SN Corporation Shipbreaking Yard in Sitakunda on September 7, 2024, 12 workers were injured. Six of them later died after reportedly inhaling leaked gas.

A worker died and at least 3 others sustained injuries Saturday as a boiler exploded on a scrap ship at Sitakunda shipyard in Chattogram. The injured workers with burns are currently being treated at Chattogram Medical College Hospital. The deceased was identified as Ripon Chakma, 26, cutter man of the yard hailing from Dighinala upazila in Khagrachari district. The injured are Md Sohel, 29 from Lakshmipur, Rocket Hossain, 24, from Naogaon and Md Mintu, 41, from Dhaka all working as fitter men in the yard. Also read: 5 of a family burnt in Chattogram gas cylinder blast The incident occurred around 2 pm at Messrs SN Corporation shipbreaking yard in Madam Bibirhat area of the upazila. According to police, the boiler exploded while the workers were cutting a scrap ship using gas, leaving four of the workers burnt. As they were taken to CMCH after rescuing, the doctor announced Ripon dead. Officer-in-Charge of Sitakunda model police station Abul Kalam Azad said a team was sent to the scene for investigation. Also read: 5 burn injured in Chattogram blast “The injured are in critical condition at the moment,” the OC said, quoting the doctors at CMCH. Meanwhile, some workers of the shipyard claimed the number of deaths and injuries are much higher. The shipyard authority has hidden the bodies and injured workers, they said, wishing not to be identified.