At least three workers were crushed to death and others have been injured in an accident at a shipbreaking facility in Bangladesh, a watchdog has claimed.
The reported deaths at Sheema Steels Shipbreaking come at a time when the country’s ship-recycling industry remains in a state of relative legal limbo.
A 20-year-old man was one of three who were killed in Saturday’s accident, a statement from the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking claimed. The two others, aged 30 and 35, were also crushed by a part of a ship being dismantled as they were pulling another piece of scrap metal from the same ship.
TradeWinds understands that the ship concerned was a car carrier with a name similar to ‘Sea Atik’ or ‘Sea Atique’ and was in an advanced stage of recycling.
The NGO also claimed that “many others” were injured in the incident while continuing: “According to workers that witnessed the event, more bodies might be stuck under the metal plate”.
In a further claim, the Brussels-based environmental group wrote: “The workers claim that after the accident there was a two hour period where the yard authorities did not allow access to the yard to try to conceal the extent of the damage”.
The NGO said the alleged deaths took place “in spite of High Court orders from March 2009, upheld by the Supreme Court, which aimed at cleaning up the industry”.
TradeWinds reported recently that the Bangladeshi shipbreaking industry was once again up and running after the 115,000-dwt capesize Badri Prasad (built 1978), previously reported sold to India, has washed up on the beaches of Chittagong. One more unnamed vessel was also beached but both were subsequently arrested by the country’s department of the environment, September’s report read.
