Seven laborers burnt as Gadani ship-breaking yard catches fire

HUB: A horrible incident of fire inside a ship of Gadani ship-breaking yard charred seven laborers on Sunday.

According to details, a non-functional ship parked at Gadani ship-breaking yard caught fire abruptly as a result of which seven laborers working inside were burnt, the condition of three is said to be critical.

According to police, the incident took place while cutting of an oil tanker inside the ship. The injured are being taken to Karachi for medical facilities, the police informed ARY News.

The fire brigade team is busy in extinguishing operation.

Yesterday, in a similar incident, five workers were killed after being roasted inside a ship and prior to that, a week ago, the very ship was set ablaze but no human loss or injury was reported.

In 2016, during cleaning of an oil tanker, a ship caught flames and took lives of 23 laborers working at the site.

Source: Ary News. 14 October 2018

https://arynews.tv/en/seven-laborers-burnt-as-gadani-ship-breaking-yard-catches-fire/

Fire at Gadani as Tanker Scrapping Resumes

Three months after authorities gave the green light for tanker beachings to resume at Gadani, Pakistan, another fire broke out aboard a decomissioned VLCC, trapping several workers inside the burning hull.

Local sources report that the fire broke out during demolition work. 20 laborers were rescued, but four are believed to be trapped within the vessel.  National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) leader Nasir Mansoor said in a social media update that 100 workers were at the site at the time of the incident.

Gadani's shipbreakers have experienced multiple fires resulting in loss of life in recent years. These incidents included a fuel tank explosion aboard the FPSO Aces in November 2016, which killed at least 26 workers and wounded 58, and a second fire aboard the same vessel in November 2017. Separately, a fire broke out on an unnamed LPG carrier in December 2016, and then a second time in January 2017, with five fatalities and an unknown number of missing workers during the second incident. The deadly blazes resulted in a temporary ban on tanker scrapping at Gadani, which was lifted in April 2018.

Labor rights advocates assert that shipbreaking is Pakistan's deadliest industry, with little regulation and inhumane working conditions. "Even jungles would have some laws, but there are none here," alleged Mansoor, in comments to Pakistan's Express Tribune.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund recently excluded four shipowners from its portfolio for selling end-of-life vessels to Pakistani and Bangladeshi shipbreakers, citing a pattern of "severe environmental damage and serious or systematic violations of human rights." Demolition brokerage GMS contests this characterization and asserts that the industry is making improvements, especially at yards that are pursuing certification to Hong Kong Convention ship recycling standards.

Source: maritime-executive. 16 July 2018

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/fire-at-gadani-as-tanker-scrapping-resumes#gs.gd4WjVk

Chittagong Ship breaking worker falls to death

A ship breaking worker died after falling off a ship at Sitakunda in Chittagong yesterday morning.

Mohammad Mizan, 28, of Barisal sadar, died on the spot after he fell off of a ship during working at ship breaking yard of Fahim Enterprise in Kumira, said duty officer at Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost. The body was kept in the CMCH morgue.

Source: the daily star. 15 November 2017

http://www.thedailystar.net/city/ship-breaking-worker-falls-death-1491418

Ship catches fire at Gadani, Pakistan

A ship caught fire when it was being broken for scrap at plot No 54 of the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard here on Wednesday.

However, no casualty was reported.

The fire erupted in pipeline of the lower part of ship during shaft cutting which was anchored at plot No 54 for scraping.

The in-charge RHC Gadani Dr Younis said that it was a light fire that erupted in a pipeline and was extinguished right away.

Lasbela Deputy Commissioner Iftikhar Ahmed Bugti and DPO Abdul Rauf Bareach immediately reached the Gadani Shipyard and monitored the efforts to put out fire .

It is significant to mention here that a bloody inferno had erupted last year in the same plot in which 29 labourers were burnt to death and over 50 workers had suffered burnt injuries.

The deputy commissioner sought report of the incident from all concerned to stop happening of such incidents. The shipbreaking activities were halted at the relevant ship .

ALL PROJECTS IN BALOCHISTAN CONTINUING, SAYS WB

World Bank country Operational Manager Ms Milanda Good on Wednesday said that it was good omen that all projects initiated by the World Bank in Balochistan were continuing.

Milanda assured that policy and sector plan will be top most priority of the World Bank.

Ms. Milanda Good expressed these views in her keynote speech in a meeting with Additional Chief Secretary Planning Qamar Mehsood and heads of all projects working under World Bank in Quetta.

Coordinator Governance and Policy Project Mahfooz Ali Khan and other high officials were also present at the meeting.

Qamar Mehsood, the Additional Chief Secretary Planning, briefing the participants said that the Balochistan govt was working at essential stage for human development and enhancing their abilities and expressed gratitude for the World Bank and all those institutes working under it for assisting the government.

Source: the nation. 09 November 2017

http://nation.com.pk/09-Nov-2017/ship-catches-fire-at-gadani

And another worker dies in May at Chittagong yard with an appalling accident record:

Brussels, 18 May 2017 - Two workers lost their lives at the Chittagong shipbreaking yards in the last two weeks, bringing the total death toll this year to six workers.

On 6 May, 26-year-old Shahinoor died at Jamuna Shipbreaking yard. He fell from a great height when he was breaking the HANJIN ROME, which was the first vessel arrested after the collapse of one of the largest container ship companies last year – the Korean company Hanjin Shipping. The HANJIN ROME was put up for auction by the High Court in Singapore to be sold to the highest bidder early this year. Unsurprisingly, the highest bids for buying ships for scrap come from cash buyers that sell to the South Asian beaching yards who can offer higher steel prices with minimal disposal and labour costs and safeguards. This is not the first time that courts, in deciding on bankruptcy cases, completely ignore the environmental and human repercussions of selling shipping assets to beaches, with the sole purpose of sorting out failed companies’ balance books. Deaths on the beaches have also been a direct consequence from bankruptcy cases in Germany, such as the sale of the KING JUSTUS to Alang and the VIKTORIA WULFF to Chittagong.

On 9 May, winch operator Ishaq was smashed by the wire cable and died on the spot at KR Steel. This is the second fatal accident this year at the plot – another fatal accident happened in February at BBC Shipbreaking yard which is under the same ownership as KR Steel. According to local sources, KR Steel was dismantling the vessels SEA ZENITH and KOTA WISATA when Ishaq was killed. The former was owned by the Thai shipping group Sang Thai & Sinsimon. The latter was owned by Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PIL), one of the top containership operators in the world. PIL sent nine end-of-life vessels to the beaches of South Asia in the last four years. Six ended up in the worst yards on the shores of Chittagong.

“Shipping companies globally are aware of the dangerous and polluting practices on the breaking beaches in South Asia,” says Ingvild Jenssen, Founding Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “The higher profit that ship owners make by selling to cash buyers has a human cost and an environmental cost. That insolvency administrators appointed by the courts in Singapore and Germany have been allowed to trade unprofitable ships to the beaches of South Asia is shocking,” she adds.

Earlier this year the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights (IGLHR) published a detailed account of the fatal accidents that killed 19 workers in Chittagong in 2016. The report includes interviews with workers that describe harsh conditions, lack of protective equipment, exposure to toxic gases and fumes, and a constant fear of dying at work: “There are enclosed dark places on the ship, where there is no ventilation. The cutters go in first [to cut holes in the sides to let light in]. Especially they get sick and nauseous,” a worker reports to IGLHR. “All of us cutters get sick from the chemicals. It always happens,” other workers add. “I work at night because the owner wanted me to work the night shift,” says a worker, adding “it is cooler. You sweat less. So for me, it is better. But it is more dangerous. That is the biggest worry: It is very risky. At any time, I could lose my life”.

Activists and workers in Bangladesh recently raised their voices on two important days for workers’ rights. On 28 April, the World Day for Health & Safety at Work, the Platform member Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) foundation organised a rally and a human chain to raise awareness on the precarious conditions at the Chittagong shipbreaking yards. Workers affected by asbestosis or having suffered injuries joined OSHE for further discussions on how to strengthen claims for compensation. On 1 May Chittagong-based Platform member Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) organised a human chain and a rally gathering more than 100 workers and their family members.

“Six workers have died this year. Many more workers have suffered serious injuries. Safety and workers’ rights are shamefully being ignored in most yards,” said Muhammed Ali Shahin from YPSA. “Whereas the Bangladesh Shipbreakers’ Association is reluctant to take any action on the yards where workers are dying, the Courts should act immediately to ensure that no yard is allowed to operate in breach of national laws on occupational safety and environmental protection,” he adds.

Source: NGO Shipbreaking Platform. 18 May 2017

Fire on Greek ship raises death toll in Pakistan

Brussels, 10 January 2017 - Five more shipbreaking workers were killed and one injured in yet another fire that took place in the shipbreaking yards of Gadani, Pakistan, yesterday morning. The deadly fire broke out on board of the beached vessel GAZ FOUNTAIN (IMO 8406054). The LPG tanker’s last beneficial owner was the Greek shipping line Naftomar. The vessel’s name was changed to RAIN and its Panama flag swapped for the end-of-life flag Comoros just before the last voyage – a clear indicator of the use of a cash buyer. Shipping newspaper TradeWinds asked cash buyer Wirana for a comment in December, when a first fire had occurred on the same ship. Wirana, one of the world’s largest firms specialised in end-of-life deals, lists Naftomar as a client.

The accident occurred at yard n° 60, owned by Rizwan Diwan Farooq, the former president of the Pakistan Ship Breakers’ Association. According to The Dawn [1], a leading daily newspaper, Farooq was detained after having fled the yard. The newspaper reported that the fire broke out due to a “chemical foam” present in the ship. The local Environment Department said that all combustibles should have been removed before the cutting process started and that the accident signalled serious neglect. No worker was injured in the earlier fire that had broken out on the vessel on 21 December; however, that incident did not result in any further safety measures that could have prevented yesterday’s deadly accident. According to another media source, the bodies of Saeed Khan, Alif Khan, Muhammad Saeed, Sabir and Naimat were sent to their native town of Peshawar on the expense of the victim’s families [2].

“Less than three months after the worst explosion in the history of shipbreaking shook Gadani, five more men are dead. We wonder how many lives must be lost before the Government cracks down on the appalling working conditions”, says Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “It is shameful for both the ship owner, Naftomar, and the cash buyer to benefit from a situation in which workers’ lives are risked to maximise profits. We ask ship owners to ensure that their end-of-life ships are dismantled in clean and safe ship recycling facilities off the beach”.

Cash buyers such as GMS and Wirana promote their so-called “green” ship recycling services, but both continue to trade vessels to the world’s worst shipbreaking yards. The Platform has shown that these cash buyers sell old ship to yards with appalling accident records, and facilitate dubious deals such as the illegal export of the “North Sea Producer” from the UK to Bangladesh.

On 1 November 2016, at least 27 workers were killed and 58 injured in an explosion on an oil tanker beached at yard n° 54 at Gadani. Four more workers are still missing as their families have not been able to find their bodies in the mortuary. After the catastrophe, the Government stopped work at the shipbreaking yards, and several key persons of the industry were arrested. However, the yards were soon allowed to return to business as usual, and the Government has yet to prove that it will ensure that the Pakistan shipbreaking industry is moved to industrial platforms that can provide necessary safety measures for workers and prevent pollution of the coastal environment.

On 8 January, another worker, the 24 year old Dilshaad, was killed in a separate incident, when a lifeboat crashed down from the SNOWDON (IMO 9112313) [3]. The beached ship’s last beneficial owner was the Zodiac Group, a Monaco and London-based shipping company owned by the Ofer family. Over the last years, the Platform has been able to link severe accidents in Bangladesh to Zodiac vessels being broken on the beach.

In November, Platform member organisation Centre of the Rule of Law, Islamabad (CRoLI), filed a petition in the courts to press for further action and the release of information to which the Government of Pakistan and the Government of the province of Balochistan, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Labour department have to reply to. As a result, the Prime Minister has ordered an inquiry. The Government’s report is yet to be published.

“The death of 33 workers in these last months must be a wake-up call for the Pakistan Government”, says Heidegger. “There is growing awareness amongst ship owners. In particular, investors, shipping banks and the clients of the shipping industry are growing weary of such gruesome accidents. If Pakistan does not want to lose this industry, the Government needs to ensure it is shifted to industrial sites off the beach”.

Source: NGO shipbreaking platform. 10 January 2017

Ship Breaking Worker Killed in the Yard:

Only in 2016, at least 19 shipbreaking workers were killed and another 11 severely injured in the Bangladesh shipbreaking yard. More than 600 German-owned ships have been sold for scrap in SouthEast Asia since 2008 due to insolvencies and financial problems claims NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

A worker named Shah Jahan was killed on December 04 on the spot at Arefin shipbreaking yard in Chittagong, Bangladesh, where German container ship “Viktoria Wulff” (IMO 9252101) is currently being dismantled on the beach, says NGO.

The 35-year old man, who was made to work without any safety measures, was struck on the head by a heavy iron piece.

German ship owner Wulff went bankrupt in August and the insolvency administrator is currently selling off the company’s remaining vessels.

The “Viktoria Wulff” became the youngest container ship to be sold for demolition at an age of only 10 years without a previous accident.

“The story of the ‘Viktoria Wulff’ is characteristic for the failed business practices of German KG ship owners as well as ship funds. Nearly 600 ships have been sold due to insolvencies and financial problems since 2008, many of which ended up on the South Asian beaches. The bill for the ship owners’ and investors’ greed for profit is paid by workers and the environment in destinations like Bangladesh, where ships end up without any consideration of the human and environmental costs”, says Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

Patrizia added: “It is a scandal that German liquidators, who are appointed by the courts, sell end-of-life ships to substandard breaking yards risking peoples’ lives through deals that are in clear breach of international and even domestic Bangladeshi law just to sort out the books for German ship owners”.

“Only in 2016, at least 19 shipbreaking workers were killed and another 11 severely injured in the Bangladesh yards. The accident rate remains shockingly high and is not coming down, despite the promises of the yard owners and cash buyers”, says Heidegger.

“The shipbreaking yards have to be moved away from the muddy beaches to clean and safe ship recycling facilities using quays and docks where cranes can be operated to safely move cut steel sections. Otherwise, the death count of beaching will not come to a halt”.

Source: marine link. 14 December 2016

http://www.marinelink.com/news/breaking-worker-killed419452

Death toll rises to 26 in Gadani shipbreaking blast in Pakistan

The death toll from an explosion and fire at the Gadani ship-breaking yard last week has risen to 26, officials said Sunday.

More than 50 others were wounded in the incident when a gas cylinder exploded and started a fire inside an oil tanker in the shipyard.

“Six more wounded from the Gadani shipyard have died, so the new toll is now 26,” Zulfiqar Hashmi, a local government official, told AFP.

“One person died at home after being discharged from hospital while five others expired in hospital,” he said.

Muhammad Hashim, commissioner of Kalat region of which Gadani is a part, confirmed the new toll.

Pakistan has banned all activities at the ship-breaking yard in Gadani and a probe is underway.

A high-level committee formed by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to investigate the causes of the fire held its first meeting in the port city of Karachi Saturday and said it would finalise a report within a week.

Industrial accidents are common in Pakistan, with workplaces often forgoing basic safety measures and equipment in the absence of legislation to protect labourers.

A devastating fire at a textile factory in Karachi killed 255 people in 2012.

Source: dawn. 06 November 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1294669/death-toll-rises-to-26-in-gadani-shipbreaking-blast

NGOS DENOUNCE DANGEROUS WORKING CONDITIONS AFTER MAJOR EXPLOSION AT GADANI SHIPBREAKING YARD IN PAKISTAN KILLING AT LEAST 21 WORKERS

A major blast caused by several gas cylinder explosions onboard an oil production and storage tanker, beached at Gadani shipbreaking plot number 56, killed at least 21 workers yesterday. More than 60 workers are reported injured. It is feared that the death toll will increase as many workers are in a critical state suffering from severe burn injuries. More workers are missing and reportedly still remain stuck in the ship. 24 hours after the blast, the fire on the vessel is not put out.

 

“This terrific accident is a painful reminder of the dangerous working conditions at the shipbreaking yards in Gadani. Our thoughts go first and foremost to the victims, to their families and friends,” said Ingvild Jenssen, Policy Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

The floating oil production tanker, ACES (IMO # 8021830), was sold to the Gadani shipbreaker by Jakarta-based PT Sinar Mentari Prima and was used in the Jabung Batanghari terminal owned by the Indonesian government company BPMIGAS and operated by PetroChina. The change of flag and name of the ship happened just weeks before it reached the beach of Gadani, which strongly point towards the use of a cash buyer for the sale of the end-of-life vessel. [1] Cash buyers, such as GMS and Wirana, are middle men that specialise in the selling of ships to the beaching yards in South Asia.

The Pakistan National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) has announced three days mourning and a strike at all yards. Workers participated to a rally in Gadani today, protesting against the deplorable working conditions and lack of government support to enforce safety and occupational health laws. [2] The Platform joins NTUF’s demand that all victims of the oil tanker explosion must receive adequate treatment for their injuries and that they, or their relatives, must receive financial compensation for their losses.

“Health and safety must come first. This terrible blast could have been avoided. There is a clear lack of infrastructure and equipment in Gadani to prevent such a deadly accident. Rescue operations are extremely difficult due to the lack of ambulances and firefighting equipment and because rapid access to the ship and the workers that are still stuck inside is extremely challenging,” said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistani Platform member organisation.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is calling for the closure of the Gadani beaching yards and for a move of the industry off the beach to areas that are under strict control, using alternative and safer methods in docks or along piers.

NOTES

[1] The flag was changed from Indonesia to Djibouti and the name from to FEDERAL I to ACES.

[2] Demanding their right to health and safety, NTUF also held a demonstration in Karachi on Sunday 30 October and called upon the federal and Balochistan governments to address the many breaches of international workers’ rights shipbreaking workers in Gadani are facing.

CONTACT

Ingvild Jenssen

Policy Director & Founder

NGO Shipbreaking Platform

ingvild@shipbreakingplatform.org

+32 2 6094 420

Source: ship breaking platform. 2 November 2016

http://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/press-release-ngos-denounce-dangerous-working-conditions-after-major-explosion-at-gadani-shipbreaking-yard-in-pakistan-killing-at-least-21-workers/

21 Ship Breaking Workers Die in Pakistan Explosion:

At least 21 shipbreaking workers died Tuesday and many more are injured and missing after gas cylinders exploded onboard an oil production tanker beached for scrapping at Gadani, on the Arabian Sea.

An oil tanker beached for scrapping at Gadani, Pakistan, exploded Nov. 1, 2016, killing 21 and injuring many others. (Photo courtesy Khyber News)

More than 60 workers are reported injured. Officials fear the death toll will rise as many of the injured workers are in critical condition with severe burns.

Missing workers reportedly remain stuck in the ship, where 24 hours after the blast, the fire is still blazing. The fire has reportedly spread to the ship’s engine room where fuel and gas cylinders are located.

“It could take another 48 hours to control the fire, as the tanker still has a significant quantity of oil present in the ship,” Commissioner Kalat Hashim Gulzai told reporters.

Local firefighters supported by the Pakistan Navy and Coastguard are still battling the fire, Hashim said Wednesday.

The floating oil production tanker, ACES (IMO #8021830), was sold to the Gadani shipbreaker by Jakarta-based PT Sinar Mentari Prima. It was used in the Jabung Batanghari terminal owned by the Indonesian government company BPMIGAS and operated by PetroChina.

Hashim said the contractor for the tanker work has been arrested and all shipbreaking at the Gadani yard has been banned while safety standards are reviewed.

Located in Balochistan province, the coastal village of Gadani, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Karachi, is the site of the world’s third largest shipbreaking yard.

The Pakistan National Trade Union Federation, NTUF, has announced three days of mourning and a strike at all the country’s shipbreaking yards.

Workers rallied in Gadani Wednesday, protesting the dangerous working conditions and lack of government support to enforce safety and occupational health laws.

Demanding their right to health and safety, the NTUF held a demonstration in Karachi Sunday, October 30. They called upon the Pakistan and Balochistan governments to address the many breaches of international workers’ rights that endanger shipbreaking workers in Gadani.

“This terrific accident is a painful reminder of the dangerous working conditions at the shipbreaking yards in Gadani. Our thoughts go first and foremost to the victims, to their families and friends,” said Ingvild Jenssen, policy director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, based in Brussels, Belgium.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is a coalition of 19 environmental, human rights and labor rights organizations working to prevent the pollution and unsafe working conditions created when end-of-life ships containing toxic materials in their structures are traded, beached and broken up for scrap.

The Platform joins NTUF’s demand that all victims of the oil tanker explosion must receive adequate treatment for their injuries and that they, or their relatives, must receive financial compensation for their losses.

Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, a Pakistani Platform member organization said Wednesday, “Health and safety must come first. This terrible blast could have been avoided. There is a clear lack of infrastructure and equipment in Gadani to prevent such a deadly accident.”

“Rescue operations are extremely difficult due to the lack of ambulances and firefighting equipment and because rapid access to the ship and the workers that are still stuck inside is extremely challenging,” Suleri said.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is calling for the closure of the Gadani beaching yards and for a move of the industry off the beach to areas that are under strict control, using alternative and safer methods in docks or along piers.

This year, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has documented an increasing number of vessels related to the oil industry arriving for demolition on the beaches of South Asia as well as in Turkey and China.

The Platform is calling on the large oil and gas companies to ensure that their business partners – companies specialized in drill ships, companies leasing oil platforms, as well as tanker companies – commit to clean and safe recycling off the beach.

Source: Environment News Service. 02 November 2016

http://ens-newswire.com/2016/11/02/21-shipbreaking-workers-die-in-pakistan-explosion/

Karachi: Death toll rises to 18 in blasts at Gadani ship-breaking yard

KARACHI: At least 18 workers were killed and more than 60 injured on Tuesday after at least two blasts ripped through an oil tanker at a ship-breaking yard, trapping others inside the vessel, local officials said.

Another explosion was heard on Wednesday as the firefighters struggled to put out the fire completely even today.

The leader of a ship-breaking workers union said the fire had engulfed the vessel moored in Gaddani, 45km (28 miles) north-west of the port city of Karachi.

“Things are really bad here,” union president Basheer Mehmoodani said and added, “There’s an unclear number of workers said to be trapped in the burning ship.”

At least 18 people were killed in the blasts, said Zulfiqar Bokhari, a senior administrative official in the area.

Nasir Mansoor, a representative of the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan, said the explosions sent pieces of metal flying up to two kilometres (one mile) away.

The blasts occurred in the fuel tank of the ship, which was still on fire till the last updates injuring two rescue officials.

Later firefighters from Karachi and from the air force and navy were attempting to put out the blaze which was almost controlled by the time this story was being published.

An eyewitness said the firefighters had to wait for the fire to die out as they lack the foam required douse it.

Labourers in Gaddani often work in poor conditions without basic protective gear.

The Gaddani ship-breaking industry has fallen on hard times recently and employs about 9,000 workers, fewer than in its boom years at the end of the last decade.

Source: ary news. 02 November 2016

http://arynews.tv/en/karachi-death-toll-rises-to-17-in-blasts-at-gadani-ship-breaking-yard/

Death toll in Gadani ship-breaking yard accident rises to 18

GADANI (Web Desk / AFP) – At least 18 people were killed, 65 injured and more than 50 went missing after explosions inside an oil tanker being broken up for scrap at the Gadani ship-breaking yard in the southwestern province of Balochistan, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Karachi.

TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship.

"A gas cylinder explosion caused a huge fire in the ship which was being dismantled," Balochistan home secretary Akbar Harifal told AFP, ruling out a deliberate attack.

"All the injured had severe burns," he added.

Local government official Zulfiqar Hashmi told AFP the ship was still ablaze and there was not enough equipment to extinguish it.

Both he and Shah said Pakistan Navy firefighters had been called in to help.

TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship as local rescue workers rushed to the scene.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his "deep grief and sorrow" over the incident, according to a statement by his office.

Industrial accidents are common in Pakistan, with workplaces often forgoing basic safety measures and equipment in the absence of legislation to protect labourers.

A devastating fire at a textile factory in Karachi killed 255 people in 2012.

Source: dunya news. 02 November 2016

http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/359275-Death-toll-in-Gadani-shipbreaking-yard-accident-r

16 Dead in Shipbreaking Yard Blast:

Courtesy Danyal Gilani / Twitter

On Tuesday, at least 16 workers were killed and 58 wounded in an explosion at the Gadani shipbreaking yard near Karachi, Pakistan.

A fuel tank exploded inside of a tanker that was being scrapped on the beaches at Gadani, throwing debris for long distances and sending a plume of smoke into the air. The tanker continued to burn after the explosion and an unknown number of workers remained trapped inside – potentially as many as several dozen, according to media reports.

Police official Mohammad Abdullah told a reporter for the New York Times that several laborers jumped over the side of the tanker and into the sea in order to escape the fire. He said that injured survivors were being treated at a hospital in Karachi.

A rescue worker from Pakistani ambulance service Edhi told the AP that first responders had retrieved many bodies from the water – along with a number of body parts, suggesting that more casualties may remain to be found.

Nasir Mansoor, a representative of the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan, said that firefighters from Karachi and from the air force and navy were attempting to put out the blaze. However, he said that he believed the firefighters would have to wait for the fire to die out "as they lack the foam required douse it."

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement, and called on responders to move quickly to rescue any workers trapped within the tanker.

Accidents and injuries are common in the shipbreaking facilities of South Asia, where vessels are driven up onto the beach and dismantled under lightly regulated working conditions. As of 2012, wages at Gadani averaged about $4 per day, according to a Reuters report.

Gadani is the world's third largest shipbreaking facility, with over 130 yards along a six-mile stretch of beachfront. It used to be the world's leading shipbreaker, but it has lost ground to Alang, India and Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is still an industrially important site for Pakistan, which derives about one million tonnes of steel a year from the yard – about a third of its domestic requirement.

Source: maritime-executive. 01 November 2016

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/12-dead-in-shipbreaking-yard-blast

14 killed, 50 injured in explosions at Pakistan shipbreaking yard

Gadani is world’s third—largest shipbreaking centres — after Alang and Mumbai — where more than 15,000 workers are directly employed while another two million indirectly earn their livelihoods from it.

At least 14 people were on Tuesday killed and more than 50 others injured when a series of explosions rocked an oil tanker that was being dismantled at a ship-breaking yard in Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province.

The fate at least 30 workers remains unknown following the explosions at the Gadani shipbreaking yard, where more than 100 people were working on the 8-foot-high ship at the time.

Police and rescue officials said at least 14 bodies have been recovered. “We are not sure how many workers were inside the tanker when the explosions occurred, but the number is said to be around 100,” area SSP Raja Ashfaq said.

Deputy General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation Nasir Mansoor said there could be up to 200 workers trapped inside the tanker. “We are trying to get the figures.”

Gadani is world’s third—largest shipbreaking centres — after Alang and Mumbai — where more than 15,000 workers are directly employed while another two million indirectly earn their livelihoods from it.

Mr. Ashfaq said the injured had been shifted to hospitals in Karachi. He said most of the dead where those workers who had tried to jump into the sea and drowned or were burnt alive.

Some workers remain trapped inside the ship and a fire engine at the scene was unsuccessful in putting out the fire, reports said.

Naval fire engines and a helicopter reached the site this evening to help in rescue operations.

“The rescue work is taking time because the ship is big and the flames have engulfed it from inside and small explosions can be heard taking place,” the SSP said.

About eight explosions occurred in the oil-tanker due to gas-welding work, and more explosions were feared.

A loud blast rocked a ship docked in the shipbreaking yard, setting the ship on fire. More than 25 people have been rescued, an official of Edhi Trust welfare foundation said.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

Sharif also ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The Edhi Trust official said the death toll is feared to could go up.

Source: the hindu. 01 November 2016

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/many-killed-and-injured-in-explosions-at-pak-shipbreaking-yard/article9291642.ece

10 dead, 50 injured in blast at Gaddani ship-breaking yard

A blast in a ship at Gaddani ship breaking yard near Karachi has resulted in the death of at least 10 and 50 injured, reported Waqt News.

The explosion occurred earlier today at Gaddani ship breaking yard, which is the third largest ship-breaking yard in the world.

The blast started a blaze inside the ship, which caused the 10 reported deaths and injuries.

Rescue sources are currently at work rescuing the injured from inside the ship.

The injured are being shifted to Civil Hospital.

Source: the nation. 01 November 2016

http://nation.com.pk/national/01-Nov-2016/at-least-2-dead-30-injured-in-blast-at-gaddani-ship-breaking-yard

Blast kills eight at Gadani ship-breaking yard

KARACHI: At least eight labourers were killed and more than 50 others wounded on Tuesday when a blast occurred in an oil tanker at Gadani ship-breaking yard.

The ship-breaking yard is the world's third largest ship breaking yard located across a 10 km long beachfront at Gadani, about 50 kilometres northwest of Karachi.

According to our correspondent, huge explosion took place in an oil tanker when dozens of labourers were working at the ship-breaking yard.

Reports said eight of the workers died on the spot while more than 50 others suffered burn injuries.

Rescue teams from Karachi and Hub area of Balochistan rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to hospital. Fire fighters were also called to extinguish the blaze.

Source: samaa.tv. 01 November 2016

http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/2016/11/oil-tanker-blast-kills-three-at-gadani-ship-breaking-yard/