Blaze erupted at oil tanker in Gadani ship-breaking yard doused after four days
Several questions have been raised on the efficiency of ship-breaking industry after the sad mishap.
GADANI (Dunya News / AFP) – A fire that broke out at an oil tanker being broken up for scrap at the Gadani ship-breaking yard extinguished after four days.
Sources told that the oil tankers of all the ships, usually 100 to 150 feet in height and 60 to 70 feet in width, have to get cleaned up before breaking but the ship brought from Japan was not gone through this process.
The ship’s owner and contractor started cleaning and breaking of the vessel at the same time that became cause of the blaze engulfing lives of 21 people.
However, more than 50 workers went missing after the explosions.
Several questions have been raised on the efficiency of ship-breaking industry after this sad mishap.
The rescue personnel faced immense difficulties in shifting the victims to hospital due to non-availability of ambulances, fire brigades and first aid.
Earlier, police had arrested ship’s owner Abdul Ghafoor’s foreman for the investigation of worker’s duties.
Industrial accidents are common in Pakistan, with workplaces often forgoing basic safety measures and equipment in the absence of legislation to protect laborers.
A devastating fire at a textile factory in Karachi killed 255 people in 2012.
