Toxic Gas Leak at Bangladesh Shipbreaking Yard Kills Eight Workers (2026-08-14)

At least eight workers have died following a suspected toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in southeastern Bangladesh, according to police. The incident occurred on Friday at the Ferdous Steel Ship Breaking Yard in the Sitakunda area, a hub for the country's dismantling industry.

Police Inspector Mohammed Alamgir stated that the initial death toll stood at six, with two more workers succumbing after being transported from the scene. Several other workers were injured and are receiving treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

A senior government factory inspection official, Mahbubul Hasan, attributed the deaths to toxic gas emissions from the ship being dismantled. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Bangladesh's Finance Minister, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, visited the hospital to meet with the families of the victims. He told reporters that the army's explosives disposal team had arrived at the site, but described the gas exposure as a "difficult situation to manage," noting that the leak was ongoing.

A deputy director of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense in Chattogram, Tahidul Islam Bhuiyan, said the workers were likely exposed to either chlorine gas or carbon monoxide, both highly toxic, while cutting the ship.

The shipbreaking industry is a major economic force in Bangladesh, concentrated along a 20-kilometer stretch of the Sitakunda coast. The region accounts for roughly 36% of global ship scrapping and houses about 150 registered yards, generating an annual turnover of $2.46 billion. The sector supplies over half of the nation's scrap steel and employs tens of thousands of workers.

Environmental campaigners have long raised concerns about the lack of safety protocols and environmental standards in the industry, noting that ships often arrive with hazardous waste from Western countries.