Nine workers killed in toxic gas leak at Sitakunda shipbreaking yard
Tk10 lakh announced as compensation for family of each deceased; five-member body formed to probe.
At least nine workers were killed and six others injured after toxic gas leaked from a tank inside a liquefied natural gas tanker being dismantled at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram this morning (14 August), said Industrial Police.
Thirty-four workers and employees were working at the yard during the accident. The injured were undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Chattogram city, Mahmuda Begum, superintendent of Chattogram Industrial Police, told TBS.
The deceased were Sani Das, 35, Palash Das, 39, Mansur Ahmed, 55, his younger brother Md Nasir Uddin, 47, Rana Mia, 27, Habibur Rahman, Khokon Mia, 40, Abdul Alim Sujon and Matiur Rahman Sazzad, 17. Sazzad was reportedly working as a truck helper.
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The accident occurred around 8:30am when two workers entered a tank in the vessel's engine room to clean it and lost consciousness after inhaling gas released from the tank. Later, others entered it to rescue them as the previous ones were not coming out for a long time, the industrial police official said.
Fire Service officials suspect carbon monoxide may have caused the accident, although the exact cause has not yet been established.
Rescue operation delayed
The Fire Service was informed around 10:50am, more than two hours after the accident.
A Kumira Fire Service team reached the yard around 11:10am and initially recovered two bodies and rescued three injured workers. Five injured workers were later sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital where doctors declared them dead upon arrival.
A Bangladesh Army and Fire Service team later arrived to search the vessel but toxic gas prevented them from conducting the operation.
The teams entered the vessel around 5pm after the tide receded but had to retreat after advancing only a short distance.
"The vessel still contains toxic gas and is unsafe. So, no one is being allowed to enter it at the moment," said Al Mamun, senior station officer of Kumira Fire Service.
Another search will be conducted once the vessel is declared safe.
Residents demand investigation
Locals alleged that workers were kept outside the yard for hours after the accident. Angry over the delay, some residents broke open the yard gate and entered the premises.
Some vandalism occurred before residents joined the rescue operation, locals said.
The situation turned emotional when two bodies were brought out. Relatives of Sani Das and Palash Das, who lived in nearby Jelepara, broke down in grief.
Locals also alleged that the yard was supposed to remain closed on Friday, its weekly holiday, but workers had been asked to report for duty. They further claimed that members of the safety team were absent when the work was being carried out.
Industrial Police and district police officials visited the site, while Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fakhrul Islam also went there.
Safety protocols under scrutiny
Mohammad Ali Shahin, head of advocacy at development organisation YPSA, said the accident could have been prevented if basic safety measures had been followed.
"Workers must use a gas meter and specialised masks before entering a gas tank or confined space," he said, adding that a gas meter would have detected toxic gas before workers entered the engine room.
Relatives alleged that workers were not provided with adequate protective equipment despite being called to work on a weekly holiday.
According to the YPSA database, at least seven workers have been killed in separate accidents at the yard since 2015.
The company received certificates of compliance from the Indian Register of Shipping on 23 May 2025 and ClassNK in April this year.
Vessel remains unsafe
The vessel was a 26-year-old LNG tanker built in 2000. The 280-metre-long, 43-metre-wide vessel is currently registered under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It was previously registered under the South Korean flag and known as HL Ras Laffan.
The vessel was beached at the Ferdous Steel yard about a year ago for recycling.
Despite repeated warnings, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed a case against Ferdous Corporation Limited in the Labour Court on 15 July for allegedly failing to ensure occupational safety.
Besides, a case against it is pending before the same court.
Probe formed, compensation announced
The Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association has formed a five-member committee headed by its technical adviser, Captain Anam Chowdhury, to investigate the accident, asking it to identify the cause and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents.
However, the association did not set any timeframe to submit the probe report.
The investigation order was also sent to the Ministry of Industries and the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board.
Meanwhile, the yard authority has announced Tk10 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased and said it would bear the medical expenses of all injured workers, according to Mohammad Mohiuddin, a senior member of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association.
Govt action
The government will investigate whether there were any safety and compliance shortcomings at the yard, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said.
"An investigation committee will be formed, and action will be taken based on its findings," he told reporters after visiting Chattogram Medical College Hospital to console the families of the victims and check on the injured workers.
Describing the incident as a deeply tragic accident, the minister said the government would uncover the facts through a fair and impartial investigation.
