Bangladesh Shipbreaking Yard Gas Accident Kills Nine, Raises HKC Safety Concerns
Nine shipbreaking workers were killed and six others injured after exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas at the Ferdous Steel shipbreaking yard in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The deadly accident has renewed concerns over occupational safety at ship recycling facilities operating under the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), particularly as Bangladesh has rapidly expanded the number of yards seeking or receiving HKC certification.
The accident occurred aboard the LNG carrier Rasi, formerly known as Ras Laffan, identified by IMO number 9176008. Records from the Chattogram Port Authority show the vessel was brought to Chattogram for demolition in July 2025, while environmental records from Bangladesh also identify MT Rasi for shipbreaking at Ferdous Steel.
According to the reported sequence of events, workers were cutting an opening into a ballast tank at around 0830 hours on Friday when a large volume of hydrogen sulfide gas escaped into the enclosed compartment where they were working. Bangladeshi media reported that first responders also detected high concentrations of ammonia and methane. Critically, dangerous concentrations of H₂S reportedly remained inside the vessel three days after the accident, highlighting the severity of the contamination.
Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic gas that can be produced when organic material decomposes under oxygen-deprived conditions. It is widely recognized for its characteristic rotten-egg smell at lower concentrations, but high exposure levels can rapidly overwhelm the human senses and cause unconsciousness or death. The reported safety thresholds in connection with the accident place H₂S above 50 parts per million (ppm) as unhealthy, above 100 ppm as dangerous, and at approximately 700–1,000 ppm as capable of causing an immediate knockdown effect.
The circumstances inside the ballast tank have also raised questions because three other ballast tanks on the vessel had reportedly already been cut up without incident. Representatives of the Shipbreaking Workers Trade Union Forum said the ship had been certified gas-free before work began last year, while the union has also accused the yard of safety failures and alleged violations of occupational health and safety requirements.
Ferdous Steel had previously faced scrutiny from Bangladesh’s Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments over alleged safety lapses and nonpayment of wages, according to the information reported in connection with the incident. Following the deaths, a local government committee was formed to investigate the accident at the district level, while union leaders called for a broader and higher-level investigation. The yard has also been ordered to suspend operations.The tragedy is especially significant because fatal accidents remain a persistent concern in Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry.
HKC Certification Under Scrutiny After Deadly Shipbreaking Accident
The Ferdous Steel accident has also intensified debate over whether compliance with the Hong Kong Convention is delivering the level of worker protection expected from modern ship recycling standards.
The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA) has argued that the HKC does not provide the same level of protection as the Basel Convention. BELA said the continued deaths and injuries in the shipbreaking sector demonstrate concerns about the effectiveness of relying on the HKC framework alone for occupational safety.
The issue is particularly important for Bangladesh because HKC certification has gained strong momentum in the country’s ship recycling sector. According to the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association, 23 of Bangladesh’s 31 shipbreaking yards are now HKC-certified, including Ferdous Steel, while the remaining yards are reportedly moving toward completion of the certification process.
Certification Must Be Matched by Safety Enforcement
From a maritime safety perspective, the accident highlights a critical distinction between regulatory certification and day-to-day operational safety. A ship being certified under a maritime recycling standard does not by itself eliminate the risks associated with enclosed spaces, residual gases, hazardous atmospheres or changing conditions inside an aging vessel.
The reported presence of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane inside a ballast tank underlines why enclosed-space entry and hot-work operations require continuous atmospheric monitoring rather than reliance solely on an earlier gas-free certificate. Conditions can change when tanks are opened, cut, heated or disturbed, potentially releasing trapped gases or decomposing residues.
The incident also raises an important industry-wide question: how effectively are safety procedures being implemented at the worker level after certification is granted? For ship recycling to be genuinely safer, certification needs to be supported by rigorous gas testing, ventilation, permit-to-work systems, trained personnel, emergency preparedness and continuous enforcement.
The deaths at Ferdous Steel therefore extend beyond one ship or one yard. They place renewed attention on whether international ship recycling standards are being translated into effective protection for workers performing some of the most hazardous jobs in the maritime industry.
Nine Workers Killed
The deceased workers have been identified as Sani Das, Palash Das, Mansur Ahmed, Md Nasir Uddin, Rana Mia, Habibur Rahman, Khokon Mia, Abdul Alim Sujon and Matiur Rahman Sazzad.
According to the reported information, each victim’s family will receive compensation of approximately $8,000.
The accident now stands as another major test for Bangladesh’s ship recycling industry, where the growing adoption of HKC certification is being closely watched by maritime regulators, shipowners, recycling companies, labor organizations and environmental groups. The central question will be whether the investigation identifies not only what caused the gas release, but also why existing safety controls failed to prevent workers from being exposed to a fatal atmosphere.
