United News of Bangladesh

Seven workers, including two siblings, died and several others fell ill after inhaling leaked gas following an incident at a shipbreaking yard in Bhatiary of Sitakunda upazila on Friday morning. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Al Mamun, an officer at the Chattogram divisional office of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the incident took place at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries on the coast along the Bay of Bengal west of Bhatiary Railway Station. He could not provide further details about the incident. Locals said two workers died on the spot and several others fell ill after gas leaked in the shipbreaking yard. The sick workers were rescued and first taken to Bhatiary BSBA Hospital. They were later shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where five others died. The exact cause of the gas leak could not immediately be confirmed. 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.