A B Ziauddin Hossain, Ctg: Dhaka, Sept-29,
The industrial’s accident information survey reveals that from 1st January 2021 to 23rd September at least 10 shipbreaking workers have died and 23 workers have been injured in different accidents at different shipbreaking yards in which a large number of the victims are young in age and casual workers.
Md. Shariful Islam, National Coordinator, Bangladesh Shipbreaking Project, IndustriALL Global Union – South Asia told this reporter that two workers
died and at least three were injured in different accidents at different shipbreaking yards within a week in Chattogram.
On 14 September around 9.30 am Md. Ali Najim (35) went to Master &
Brothers Shipbreaking Yard at Kumira for scrap business purposes as he was a dealer of scraps. He was near a truck that was loaded with oxygen cylinders that were not tightened properly. All of a sudden few of the cylinders fall on him and the man died on the spot.
On 18 September at about 5.25 pm, the victim who was working as a cutter of JL Shipbreaking at Tentultal area had been cutting the upper portion of a ship. Unexpectedly he slipped from the upper side of the ship and the workers received serious injury. The worker was found dead after taking him to the hospital.
The union received evidence from other workers that he had not been provided a harness belt that could save the life of the worker. The deceased was found as Liton Paul (30).
On 20 Sept; 11 AM three workers namely cutter Babul (22), helper Pias (26) and helper Russel (25) was working in the Marine/Mars Shipbreaking
The yard at Joramtal area. The workers were asked by the foreman to cut a fuel tank that was not previously inspected by the safety authority ensuring that there are no chemical substances in the tank.
The cutter man Babul took others to helpers with him for cutting off the tank. No sooner the cutter had tried to cut the fuel tank, a heavy unwrapped fire spark suddenly
and caught all three workers and burnt severely.
Kan Matsuzaki, Assistant General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union says- “That many accidents in merely a week are shocking. The employers’
negligence continues. This is completely unacceptable and makes it all the more urgent that the government of Bangladesh takes immediate steps to address the issue, including ratification of the Hong Kong Convention.”
End/Dct/Abz/Sma/
