Three days after nine workers died from toxic gas exposure at a ship recycling yard in Sitakunda, Chattogram, investigators are still unable to enter the vessel to determine what caused the accident.
The incident occurred at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Yard in the Bhatiary area of Sitakunda, where workers were cutting up a scrap vessel on Friday morning. The deaths have raised serious questions about gas detection, vessel decontamination and safety procedures at shipbreaking facilities.
Following the accident, three separate investigation committees were formed by the Ministry of Industries, the Chattogram district administration and the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association. However, none of the members of those committees has so far been able to reach the immediate accident site inside the vessel because of the continuing risk posed by toxic gas.
The Ministry of Industries has now formed an eight-member specialised expert team to assess the situation before the formal investigation can proceed safely. The team is headed by Professor Md Yasir Arafat Khan of the Department of Chemistry at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Among its members are Captain Md Shoaeb Ahmad, director of Bangladesh Maritime University, and Muhammad Mehedi Islam Khan, assistant explosives inspector at the Department of Explosives.
The expert team began its work on Monday and has been instructed to submit its report within three days. Its responsibilities include identifying the nature and concentration of gases remaining inside the vessel, locating the affected compartments, determining the source of the leakage and recommending measures to stop any continuing release.
Officials say the vessel must first be made safe before investigators can enter. Authorities are also considering engaging a qualified private company with international-standard capabilities to carry out the gas-freeing operation.
The decision followed a request from the Sitakunda upazila administration. In a letter sent to the Ministry of Industries on Sunday afternoon, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Fakhrul Islam said that officials from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Department of Explosives and Department of Environment had been working at the site, but several critical questions remained unanswered.
These include the precise source of the gas leak, whether the leakage has been completely stopped, whether other gases remain inside the vessel and, if so, their concentration. Authorities have also been unable to collect gas samples because of the hazardous conditions.
The Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board said the situation requires particular caution because hydrogen sulphide is highly toxic and heavier than air. Its tendency to accumulate in enclosed or low-lying spaces can make shipbreaking environments especially dangerous when tanks and confined compartments are opened during dismantling.
The authorities therefore want to identify and neutralise potential pockets of gas before allowing investigators to enter. The immediate priority is to prevent further casualties while preserving the conditions necessary for a reliable investigation.
The Ministry of Industries formed an 11-member committee on the day of the accident, headed by Additional Secretary A K M Benjamin Riazi. The Chattogram district administration separately established a nine-member committee led by Additional District Magistrate Syed Mahbubul Haque. The Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association also formed a three-member committee.
The formation of the specialised team reflects the difficulty faced by those committees in accessing the vessel. Officials say an investigation based solely on external observations would not be sufficient to establish exactly how the workers were exposed and why the gas accumulated inside the ship.
The accident took place at around 9am on Friday while workers were dismantling the scrap vessel at the Ferdous Steel facility near Station Road in Bhatiary. According to a worker who was present at the yard, cutting work on an LNG tank was nearing completion, while another tank located towards the lower part of the vessel was also being cut. Toxic gas reportedly escaped from the tank, leaving nine workers dead.
With the vessel still considered potentially hazardous, the authorities are proceeding cautiously. The findings of the expert team are expected to provide the technical basis for determining the cause of the gas release and identifying the safety measures needed before further dismantling work is allowed.
