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At least eight workers have died following a toxic gas leak at a ship-breaking yard in the southeastern Bangladeshi district of Chattogram, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred at the Ferdaus Steel Shipbreaking Yard in Sitakund subdistrict, an area that hosts many ship-breaking yards where old vessels mostly imported from around the world are dismantled.
Soon after the leak, many workers lost consciousness and were rushed to a local hospital.
Six out of seven people taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital were declared dead, according to doctor Istiaq Rahman of the hospital’s emergency department.
The victims showed signs of both physical injuries and gas inhalation, he said.

Police officer Alamgir Hossain said the bodies of two additional workers were later found at the yard.
A local resident said he heard people screaming inside the factory shortly after the accident. He also saw victims being transported to hospitals in private vans.
He said angry residents vandalised the factory premises as rumours ran that many bodies were lying there, prompting police to intervene and bring the situation under control.
The Sitakund ship breaking yard is known as one of the largest ship dismantling sites in the world, stretching along roughly 20 kilometres of coastline on the Bay of Bengal.
Ship-breaking in Bangladesh has long faced criticism from the international community due to its unsafe and environmentally damaging practices.


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Ship-breaking in Bangladesh has long faced global criticism due to its unsafe and environmentally damaging practices


Ship-breaking in Bangladesh has long faced global criticism due to its unsafe and environmentally damaging practices.


Human rights

Environment

Toxic gas leak kills 8 at Bangladesh ship-breaking yard

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ship-breaking in Bangladesh has long faced global criticism due to its unsafe and environmentally damaging practices

Ship-breaking in Bangladesh has long faced global criticism due to its unsafe and environmentally damaging practices