Not lower than 12 other americans were injured following a gas tank explosion at a ship-breaking yard in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram today (7 September).
Mohammad Solaiman, superintendent of Industrial Police, Chattogram, talked about the incident took situation on the green ship-breaking yard of SN Company around 11:40am.
After being rescued, the injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Sanatorium (CMCH). Later within the afternoon, eight of the injured were shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Sanatorium (DMCH) as their condition deteriorated, constant with authorities.
Brigadier General Taslim Uddin, director of CMCH, suggested The Industry Usual that eight of the victims sustained essential burn injuries, with 80% to 90% of their bodies burned.
“Four others suffered blast injuries from the shockwave precipitated by the explosion,” he added.
The injured workers were identified as Mohammad Ahmad Ullah, HMC manager; Mohammad Al Amin, safety inspector; Mohammad Barkat, ship in-charge; Mohammad Habil Ahmed, cutter foreman; and Mohammad Niamul Hoque, ship helper.
The different injured, including fitters and oil cleaners, are Mohammad Anwar Hossen, Mohammad Abul Kashem, Mohammad Jahangir, Mohammad Khairul, Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Rafique, and Mohammad Saiful.
Consultants contain opined that the explosion became once precipitated by technical lapses. Within the interim, workers’ organisations condemned the incident and known as for an intensive investigation. They moreover urged strict action in opposition to those accountable for the explosion.
The explosion occurred in a tanker vessel that became once being dismantled at SN Company around 11:40am. Eyewitnesses reported seeing fire and thick smoke engulfing the ship after the explosion.
Al Mamun, senior situation Manager of Kumira Fire Utter, suggested The Industry Usual, “The staff were running internal a tank with unhappy ventilation. When a cutterman ignited a gas cutter, the tank exploded with a gigantic bang.”
Muhammad Ali Shahin, a ship-breaking alternate educated and coordinator of the non-governmental organisation YPSA, defined that the tanker being dismantled became once previously former to transport gas oil.
“The tanks generate flammable gases admire methane. Even after the oil is unloaded, the gas remains internal the tanks. Or now now not you could envision the tanks with specialised gas metres before the utilization of fire-oriented gas cutters,” he added.
Shahin suspected technical lapses on the yard, declaring, “As a green yard with trained personnel, such lapses are surprising, especially from an experienced ship-breaker.”
Then again, no comments will likely be received from the yard authorities, as the director of the yard, Mohammad Barkat Ullah, didn’t reply phone calls no matter several attempts.
Here is now now not an remoted incident within the ship-breaking alternate. In 2022, a same explosion at Jamuna Ship-Breakers claimed three lives. There were so many other incidents of tank explosion within the alternate earlier too.
With out reference to enhancements in safety requirements, the technical failure in a certified green yard has raised concerns about the alternate’s pattern.
In a commentary to the media, the Ship-Breaking Workers’ Commerce Union Forum condemned the incident and blamed inadequate monitoring for the explosion.
The commentary, signed by convener Tapan Dutta and joint convener Mohammad Safar Ali, known as for an intensive investigation and strict actions to forestall future accidents.
