Routine Deaths in Chittagong, Ships Owners Have Field Day

Note: South Asian beaches in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Gadani, Pakistan and Alang, India have seceded from their respective countries and have become the properties of rich ship owning companies and countries of US, Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia and China. These countries and their transnational shipping companies are in the process of writing the obituary of UN treaty, Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal at its Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP 10) during October 17-21 in CARTAGENA, Colombia. The theme of COP 10 “recovery of wastes” is anti-environment and human health.

Gopal Krishna
ToxicsWatch Alliance

span style="font-weight:bold;">4 dead, 40 taken ill in gas leaks

Oct 16th, 2011

Dhaka, Oct 16 (bdnews24.com) – Four people were dead and at least 40 taken ill in two separate incidents of gas leakage in the country.

In one incident, four workers died after inhaling poisonous gas in Chittagong when a docked ship was being gas-freed on Sunday evening in Giri Subedar Ship Breaking Yard.

Those dead were identified as Mir Kashem, 22, Nesar Uddin, 25, Younus, 23, and Gias Uddin, 25.

The yard in Bara Awlia area of the port city is owned by Lokman Hakim.

Two people were also reported to have fallen sick due to the gas and admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said medical police post sub-inspector Mohammad Zahirul Islam.

Shipyard general manager Mohammad Sekandar told bdnews24.com, "In the evening, many were taken ill making a ship gas-free."

But he denied any knowledge about four people dying in the incident.

Earlier in the day, at least 40 people, including 12 firemen, fell sick after a pipe of the chlorine unit of a chemical factory at Keraniganj leaked.

The pipe of the chlorine unit of Global Heavy Chemical Company Limited leaked around 9am on Sunday, South Keraniganj police chief Sakhawat Hossain told bdnews24.com.

"The situation is under control now," he added.

Fire brigade control room officer Nilufar Yasmin told bdnews24.com that the information fire fighters repaired the leak after around half an hour.

But many people including the fire fighters fell sick before the pipe was repaired.

They have been admitted to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The police officer said owner of the chemical factory Sabur Khan could not be immediately reached for comment.

bdnews24.com/corr/kt/jk/ost/mc/mrh/nir/2240h