Chattogram Correspondent; Dbarta24 — The death toll from a devastating gas leakage incident at a shipbreaking yard in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila has climbed to nine, local authorities confirmed.
Several others remain hospitalized in critical condition following exposure to toxic fumes inside a scrapped LNG vessel.
The tragedy unfolded at approximately 10:00 AM on Friday during maintenance and cleaning operations at the Ferdous Steel Ship Breaking Yard.
According to preliminary reports, 15 to 20 people suddenly fell ill as toxic gas swiftly spread across the working area inside an offshore LNG carrier tank.
Emergency Response and Casualties
Victims were rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where attending physicians initially pronounced three individuals dead upon arrival.
Six more succumbed to severe gas poisoning while undergoing emergency treatment, bringing the confirmed fatalities to nine.
Chattogram Additional Superintendent of Police, Junaid Kawsar, confirmed the updated death toll.
Speaking on the incident, Mahbubul Hasan, Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), stated that officials have verified nine deaths out of at least ten workers initially reported severely ill.
“We are investigating whether the tragedy was caused solely by toxic gas leakage or if an explosion occurred,” Hasan noted. “A detailed review of the yard’s overall worker safety measures and protocols is currently underway.”
Misconceptions and Confusion Over the Incident
In the immediate aftermath of the event, initial local reports pointed to a massive explosion within the ship’s hold.
However, management officials from the Ferdous Steel Ship Breaking Yard clarified that poisoning from an undetected gas leak caused the casualties, rather than a blast.
Yard Administrative Officer Saifuzzaman explained, “There was no explosion at the site. The casualties were caused by acute toxicity after gas leaked from the tank.
Due to the sudden nature of the event, many bystanders initially mistook the commotion for a blast.”
Adding context to the incident, Yard Manager Mohammad Yousuf mentioned that the facility was officially closed on Friday when the breach occurred inside the scrapped LNG vessel’s tank.
“Many of those affected were curious locals who rushed to the scene to inspect the leak and were subsequently overcome by toxic gas exposure,” Yousuf claimed.
Workplace Safety Under Scrutiny
Shipbreaking yards along the Sitakunda coast have long faced critical international scrutiny regarding occupational health hazards, inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), and poor environmental safeguards.
Law enforcement agencies and regulatory inspectors have launched a formal joint investigation into the incident.
Authorities are working to determine whether negligence played a role in the gas leak, why unauthorized individuals were able to enter the hazardous zone during a operational shutdown, and whether mandatory safety protocols were violated.