Nine shipbreaking workers and employees died after being exposed to toxic gas inside a scrap vessel at a shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda's Bhatiari of Chattogram today.
The incident happened around 9:00am inside an LNG-carrier, MT Rasi, at Ferdous Steel Shipyard on the Station Road of Bhatiari.
Firefighters rescued the workers from the vessel which was anchored adjacent to Ferdous Steel Shipyard in the morning.
The death toll increased to nine after another injured worker, Motiur Rahaman, 17, son of Md Hanif, of Sitakunda’s Sonaichhari, died at a private hospital in Chattogram.
The other victims are Palash Das and Sunny Das -- from Bhatiari; Mohammad Khokon Mia, of Gaibandha; and Mohammad Mansur, Abdul Alim Sujon, Md Rana, Nasir Uddin and Md Hanif -- all from Sonaichari in Mirsarai.
One injured has been admitted to CMCH while two more critically injured are receiving treatment at Chattogram National Medical. The patient at CMCH is out of danger according to doctors, confirmed Chattogram DC Md Zahidul Islam Mian.
Sitakunda Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Alamgir earlier said two people died at the site of the incident, while six others were declared dead on arrival after being taken to hospital.
“Six people were brought to Chattogram Medical College Hospital following the incident. Five of them were declared dead on arrival, while one injured was admitted to the hospital,” said Nurul Alam, in-charge of CMCH police outpost.
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He said the workers were likely killed after toxic gas spread inside the vessel.
Another injured worker from the ship was brought to the hospital around 2:30pm and was pronounced dead on arrival, the police official added.
“The bodies were recovered from a ship being dismantled at the yard. Injured workers were also rescued and sent to hospital,” said Mohammad Mamun, senior station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence’s Kumira station.
Family members of the workers have gathered at the hospital.
Mohammad Yusuf, manager of the shipyard, said an LNG carrier was being dismantled and the cutting work was nearing completion.
“Liquid waste was found in a section of the vessel. The incident happened when a safety officer and others went there to inspect it,” he said.
Mahmuda Begum, an official of Chattogram Industrial Police, told The Daily Star that a police team has been sent to the site.
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Mahbub Hasan, deputy inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), said the agency had received information that several workers had been taken to hospital.
Safety experts today said the deaths were caused by an accumulation of toxic gas inside a confined tank onboard the vessel. Fishermen operating in the Bay of Bengal reported smelling the gas from half a kilometre away.
Muhammad Ali Shahin, a shipbreaking expert and head of advocacy at the non-profit organisation YPSA, described the incident as unprecedented. "I have never seen such massive casualties in a shipbreaking yard," Shahin said, pointing to severe negligence by the yard authority.
"Toxic gas had accumulated in the ship’s tank," Shahin explained. "Instead of slowly venting and cleaning the tank with proper precautionary measures, the yard management sent workers inside to extract the gas quickly.
The workers opened the tank in a confined space and inhaled the lethal fumes. Although this yard received Hong Kong Convention (HKC) Green Yard certification, they failed to comply with its safety guidelines."
The incident comes despite the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships coming into force globally on June 26, 2025.
Established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the treaty mandates strict guidelines, including an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), regulator-approved Ship Recycling Plans (SRP), and rigorous occupational health and safety protocols.
"The technology and safety protocols to reduce these risks exist, but the challenge is ensuring consistent implementation rather than keeping them on paper," Shahin added.
Contacted, Ferdous Wahid, chief executive officer of Ferdous Steel, denied allegations of negligence, maintaining that the yard strictly complies with all safety protocols. He noted that since today was Friday, it was a non-operational day with no structural cutting scheduled.
"After workers noticed an unusual odour inside the ship, members of our Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) team went to inspect for potential gas leaks," Wahid said. "When they went inside to check, they fell ill.”
Wahid said the vessel was being dismantled for over a year without any untoward incident and that an internal probe would be launched to determine the cause.
He also stated that all necessary government clearances were obtained prior to starting demolition.
Asked about the clearance process, SM Shakhawat Hossain, assistant explosive inspector at the Department of Explosives, confirmed that the vessel was certified over a year ago.
"We inspected the ship prior to issuing clearance and found no harmful gas at that time," Hossain said. "We will now investigate how and why this gas accumulated and identify those responsible."
M/T Rasi, 280m in length and 43m wide, arrived in Chattogram anchorage in July 2025 and was officially beached for demolition on July 13, 2025.
Note: This report has been updated with the latest information at 7:51pm.
