Two Workers Killed Scrapping Tanker in Chittagong

File Photo: Shipbreaking near Chittagong, Bangladesh. Image by Naquib Hossain/Creative Commons

Two workers were killed Monday in a fire that started in the engine room of an end-of-life tanker being dismantled at a shipbreaking yard in Chittagong, Bangladesh, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has confirmed.

Local media reports that the incident took place around 10:15 a.m. local time at the Shagorika Ship Breaking Yard on Monday.

The vessel being dismantled has been identified as the crude oil tanker Greek Warrior.

One report said one of the victims was working in the engine room when the fire broke out. The victim was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. A second victim was discovered in the vessel a few hours later.

According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a total of 518 end-of-life ships were dismantled on the beaches of South Asia in 2018, where shipbreakers continue to use the controversial ‘beaching’ method to scrap ships within the tidal zone. The number of ships represented a record-breaking 90% of the total gross tonnage dismantled globally during the year.

The platform counted at least 34 workers who were killed scrapping ships across the globe, including 20 workers who died in incidents taking place in Bangladesh.