An official inquiry into the explosion on the
scrapped FPSO Aces confirmed that the massive blast was caused by hundreds of
thousands of gallons of petroleum products on board.
The inquiry (as reported by local media) said
that about 375,000 gallons of fuel and 425,000 gallons of lubricants were on
board the vessel.
Aces had been beached at the shipbreaking
yards in Gadani, Pakistan. It is believed that sparks from cutting (or the
explosion of a cutting gas tank) ignited the petroleum on board; the blast that
followed tore apart her decks, killing at least two dozen and injuring 58 more.
The known death toll has risen to 28 since
the blast, as many of the injured died of their wounds in the days and weeks
after. The exact numbers of the dead may never be known, as the yard did not
keep written records of its workers. Pakistani unions estimate that there are
at least ten workers still missing, based on inquiries from the men’s families.
The provincial government has arranged for a
$22,000 payment for families of the deceased, plus $1,500 for each of the
injured.
Pakistani officials have acknowleged that
beaching is often used as an opportunity for smuggling petroleum products into
the country. The ministry of shipping's report called for an investigation into
customs practices: the shipbreaking contractor had not obtained customs
clearance before bringing the Aces onto the beach.
Kamal Siddiqi, former editor of Pakistan's
Express Tribune, alleges that high federal duties on imported ships have driven
many Gadani shipbreaking firms out of business, and that those remaining are
forced to smuggle fuel as a way to supplement their income.
The Minister for Ports and Shipping, Mir
Hasil Khan Bizenjo, said Friday that the government and the Provincial Assembly
of Balochistan would draft new laws on shipbreaking. He added that the
government was also looking to address the lack of emergency facilities at
Gadani. Eyewitness reports from the day of the blast suggested that there were
not enough ambulances to carry the wounded away for treatment.
Source:
maritime-executive.
18 November 2016
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