Dhaka, Aug 31 (V7N) – Industries and Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir today said negligence has been identified in the investigation into the deaths of 10 people from toxic hydrogen sulfide gas at Ferdous Steel Recycling Industries, and punitive action will be taken against those found responsible through due judicial process.

"The investigation report has identified various instances of negligence. Action will be taken against the yard owner under the existing law through the judicial process. However, we can't determine what the punishment will be; it will be decided through the judicial process," he told a press conference at the Ministry of Industries.

The gas leak occurred on August 14 at the Sitakunda shipbreaking yard while workers were breaching a ballast tank aboard the scrap ship MT Rasi. Nine workers died on the spot, with another succumbing later during hospital treatment. The minister said toxic gas was suddenly released while a tank was being cut open, and the gas was so intense that those exposed to it lost consciousness immediately.

The investigation committee, formed by the Ministry of Industries, found severe safety lapses and negligence responsible for the deaths. Workers lacked gas masks or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while puncturing the ballast tank, and the high-risk operation took place on a weekly holiday without a safety manager, ambulance, doctor, or emergency rescue team on site. The committee recommended action against the yard owner under the Ship Breaking and Recycling Rules-2011.

BUET Chemical Engineering Department Professor Dr Md Yasir Arafat Khan, who headed the three-member expert committee formed to investigate the gas leakage and assess potential risks, was present at the press conference. Preliminary findings indicated hydrogen sulfide gas inside the tank may have caused the deaths, with the Department of Explosives recording a concentration of 10.8 parts per million in the affected section.

The minister said the possibility of fatal gas being released from plastic materials was not widely known before the accident, making it an important lesson for the sector. The investigation report has made recommendations for preventing similar accidents in the future.

Additional Secretary of the Industries Ministry AKM Benjamin and other committee members were present at the press conference.

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