Eight Dead in Bangladesh Shipbreaking Yard Gas Leak Disaster

At least eight workers have died and four others hospitalized after a suspected toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in southeastern Bangladesh. The incident occurred on Friday at Ferdous Steel's yard in Bhatiari, near the port city of Chattogram.

The dead included four workers who have been identified so far. According to Md Alamgir, Sitakunda police inspector, two affected workers were taken to hospital by police and there could be more people exposed to the gas as local residents rescued other workers who became sick at the site.

Assistant director of Bangladesh's Fire Service and Civil Defence in Sitakunda, Md. Toufiqul Islam Bhuiyan, said that the vessel being dismantled had previously been used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) and had remained out of service for an extended period allowing carbon monoxide to become trapped inside.

'The ship being dismantled at the shipbreaking yard was meant for carrying LNG and had been lying unused for a long time. Therefore, carbon monoxide was trapped inside the ship,' Bhuiyan said after visiting the site.