Explosion and Fire at Bangladesh Scrapyard Kills One, Injures 11

There was an explosion and subsequent fire at one of Bangladesh’s green certified shipyards on Saturday morning, September 7, as workers were cutting into a tanker being dismantled at the yard. It is one of the most serious recent accidents in the industry and caused renewed concerns about the shipbreaking industry.

Local fire and police officials are reporting the explosion occurred around 11:30 a.m. at the SN Corporation, a shipbreaking yard in Chattogram, and one of only four currently certified as a green yard. Accounts vary on the circumstances but it is believed the team of 12 workers was cutting into the engine spaces aboard a former tanker that has been mostly dismantled. Some reports said they were attempting to open one of the fuel tanks while others said the explosion occurred in a pump room.

Two local fire teams rushed to the yard and were able to control the blaze and evacuate 12 workers to the local hospital. Eight of them were transferred later Saturday to an advanced burn facility but one person, a 38-year-old manager from the yard, succumbed to his injuries before reaching the facility. Of the seven others transferred, doctors reported most had burns ranging from 60, 70, or 80 percent of their bodies, with the least injured having burns on 25 and 45 percent of their bodies.  They are also reporting inhalation burns and hearing injuries.

The Bangladesh Ministry of Industries ordered all work suspended at the yard. They also said a board of investigation was being formed. 

A representative of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association highlighted the yard’s green certification. He said an initial review showed the dismantling documents were in order.

Citing data from the Labour Resource and Support Center, the Dhaka Tribune is highlighting government information on the dangers of the industry. The report shows that 124 people have died of accidents in the past nine years at the scrapyards. The newspaper says that in the first six months of 2024, there have been 12 accidents at the yards resulting in 12 injuries and one death.

A representative for the union issued a statement saying the accident occurred because the work was not being done according to rules and cited lax enforcement. They allege the yards are hiring contractors to do the cutting and that they do not follow safety and workplace rules.

Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry has been under pressure from the pandemic and then the financial collapse in the country. The association says the number of yards was at more than 150 before the pandemic but fell first to 55 to 60 and then with the financial crisis was down to just 10 to 15 yards. While the number of ships being sent for scrap remains low, they said the number of yards increased this year to between 30 and 35. Only four have green certification while another five to six yards are reported to be in the process of earning certification.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is highly critical of the industry in Southeast Asia. They contend, that the industry suffers from a serious lack of transparency with many incidents likely going unreported, particularly in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, where the NGO says authorities and the industry fail to publish data on injuries and death. The group in its second quarter 2024 report said Bangladesh was the most active country with 48 ships out of a total of 94 ships dismantled worldwide between April and June 2024.