Gas leak at Bangladesh shipbreaking yard kills eight

A toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in Bangladesh on Friday claimed the lives of at least eight workers, with five others still missing, according to police. The incident occurred in the southeastern port city of Chittagong, where witnesses reported hearing screams before some victims were rushed to the hospital. Abdul Kuddus Chowdhury, a senior police official, confirmed the death toll and announced a search for the missing workers.

Authorities have formed a committee to investigate the incident and have ordered an audit of the shipbreaking yard. The Ferdous Steel Shipbreaking Yard and Recycling Factory, which recently acquired the vessel previously used for transporting liquefied natural gas, was previously listed as a green and compliant facility. However, fire service official Towfiqul Islam Bhuiyan suggested that safety procedures were not followed, as the vessel should have been free of gas before the cutting began.

The yard authorities allegedly disregarded the instructions, leading to the exposure of workers to the gas. Three bodies were recovered from the site, and several other workers were found unconscious and taken to the hospital. Ferdous has not commented publicly on the incident. Among the victims was Palash Jaladas, whose pregnant wife, Bhoumika Jaladas, expressed her distress to reporters, asking, "What shall I do now?"