A man has been killed in a workplace accident at the Kabir Steel Shipbreaking Yard in Chattogram – a KSRM company, making it the first death in this sector this year, and the second accident in this facility since last week.
Ariful Islam Sujan, 27, who worked as a cutter, died at the shipbreaking yard after getting hit by an iron girder around 1:30am on Tuesday, said Sitakunda Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad.
Following the accident, Sujan’s co-workers took him to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty doctor pronounced him dead on arrival, Azad added.
Kabir Steel Shipbreaking Yard is located in the Baraulia area of Sitakunda Upazila, and the victim hailed from the Fultola village of the same area. Sujan has four brothers and two sisters, and among them, one brother and one sister are mentally and physically handicapped.
The destitute family currently lives in a rented room in a small house. Upon receiving the news of Sujan’s accident and death, his mother Raushan Ara has been left speechless with grief.
According to one of the victim’s relatives, Sujan and one of his brothers have been keeping the family financially afloat by doing manual labour.
The Kabir Steel Shipbreaking Yard, claiming to be a green shipyard, had previously applied for the HK Convention Certificate – a global recognition awarded to shipbreaking yards for safe and environmentally compliant recycling of Ships.
In this context, representatives of Class NK, a Japan-based survey organisation, recently visited this shipyard.
Speaking to The Business Post, the Ship Breaking Yard Workers’ Forum Convener Tapan Dutta said, “Cutter Sujan’s death at the Kabir Shipbreaking Yard marks the first death in this industry this year. Eighteen workers died last year in this sector.
“Lack of adequate training and safety of workers at shipbreaking yards often lead to deaths and injuries. Kabir Steel has reportedly applied for recognition as a green shipbreaking yard, but the industries ministry's decision is not known yet.”
Directorate of Factories and Establishments’ Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Al Shakib Mubarrat said, “After receiving the news, an investigation has been launched and we have visited the scene.
“As far as I know, Sujan – who was physically weak – and his co-workers were working night shifts on a chilly winter night. The cause of his death can be confirmed after we get the post-mortem report.”
In another accident in the same shipyard last week, Mohammad Bakul Pramanik, 57, of Dalirkandi area under Sariakandi Upazila of Bogura district was seriously injured.
On December 29 last year, at Kabir Steel Ship Recycling Facilities – another shipyard owned by the KSRM and also known as Khwaja Shipyard, a worker named Abu Bakar Siddique, 40, lost his hand after it got stuck between two plates.
The industries ministry on November 16 suspended import of scrap ships in the Khwaja Shipbreaking Yard for four months due to a lack of safety of workers, environmental pollution, and workplace deaths. The ministry also fined the company Tk 5 lakh.
A driver at the Khwaja Shipyard named Mohammad Taslim, 30, was killed in a workplace accident on September 29.
