Man Dies Following Explosion at Sitakunda Shipbreaking Yard

A 38-year-old man, Ahmad Ullah, passed away on Sunday while being transported to Dhaka for advanced medical care after sustaining injuries in an explosion and fire at the SN Corporation shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda, Chattogram.

The incident occurred on Saturday when an explosion took place involving an old product tanker, previously owned by the Shipping Corporation of India, named Swarajya. At least 12 workers suffered burn injuries as a result, with six individuals currently in intensive care due to severe burns.

Following the accident, operations at the shipbreaking yard were halted indefinitely. Initial investigations by the Department of Environment revealed multiple violations of the environmental clearance conditions for the shipbreaking yard, along with breaches related to the scrap ship’s clearance.

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association reported that there have been at least 13 accidents at the same demolition yard since 2010.