Toxic Gas Incident at Bangladesh Shipbreaking Yard Kills Eight Workers

A suspected toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in southeastern Bangladesh has left at least eight workers dead and several others injured, according to authorities. The incident happened Friday at the Ferdous Steel Ship Breaking Yard in the Sitakunda area while workers were dismantling a decommissioned vessel.

The accident occurred as crews were carrying out routine ship dismantling work. Police said the workers may have been exposed to dangerous gas released from the vessel during the operation. The exact substance involved has not yet been publicly identified, and authorities are investigating how the leak occurred.

The death toll increased during the hours following the incident. Initial reports said six workers had died at the site or shortly afterward. Two additional workers later died after they were taken away for medical treatment, bringing the confirmed number of fatalities to eight.

Several other workers were reportedly injured in the incident and were taken for medical care. Authorities have not yet released a complete account of the injured workers’ conditions.

Police inspector Mohammed Alamgir said an investigation was underway to establish what caused the gas leak and determine how the workers were exposed. Investigators are also expected to examine the conditions under which the ship was being dismantled and whether appropriate safety procedures were followed.

Shipbreaking is a major industrial activity in the coastal area around Chattogram, where old vessels are brought ashore and dismantled for reusable metal and other materials. The industry provides employment to thousands of workers and supplies a significant amount of scrap steel for Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector.

However, dismantling old ships can involve serious workplace hazards. Workers may encounter enclosed spaces, leftover fuel, chemical residues, pressurised materials and gases that can become dangerous when a vessel is opened or cut apart. For this reason, safety checks and proper ventilation are particularly important before workers enter or begin cutting parts of an old ship.

The latest deaths have again drawn attention to the risks faced by workers in Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry. The sector has faced criticism over workplace safety for years, particularly because workers can be exposed to hazardous substances and heavy equipment while breaking apart large vessels.

The Ferdous Steel facility is among the ship-recycling yards operating in the Sitakunda shipbreaking area. Bangladesh’s government maintains a ship-recycling database that records yards, ships and reported safety information, reflecting the importance of monitoring safety in the industry.

At this stage, authorities have not publicly established whether the suspected gas release resulted from a failure to identify hazardous material inside the vessel, inadequate safety precautions or another problem during the dismantling process. Those questions are expected to form part of the investigation.

The incident also highlights why workers handling decommissioned ships need reliable information about the materials remaining inside vessels before dismantling begins. Even a ship that is no longer in service can contain fuel, chemicals or other substances capable of producing dangerous fumes.

For the families of the workers who died, the investigation will be closely watched as authorities work to determine exactly what happened and whether any safety failures contributed to the deaths. Further details about the victims, the injured workers and possible official findings may emerge as the investigation continues.

The confirmed death toll currently stands at eight. Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspected toxic gas leak and the circumstances surrounding the workers’ exposure.