Gadani oil tanker fire under control, 20 rescued

QUETTA: The fire that erupted at a German oil tanker on the Gadani ship-breaking yard on Monday was brought under control while rescue workers were able to save 20 trapped labourers, police officials said.

The flames had erupted when welding work was being conducted to dismantle the stationary vessel, according to the officials.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sanaullah Zehri-led provincial government in Balochistan had placed a ban on dismantling oil tankers at the yard following a series of such infernos, including the November 2016 incident that had claimed 26 lives.

The November 2016 incident had occurred when nearly 250 workers were onboard the decommissioned Japanese oil tanker, MT Aces, when a blast sparked off a massive blaze and a series of explosions on the 24,000-ton vessel at Gadani shipbreaking yard. Twenty-six of them died – some on the spot and others at hospitals – and over 50 workers sustained burn injuries. Some were rescued, while around 100 were trapped inside the ship as firefighters struggled for the next three days to put out the toxic blaze, according to witnesses and survivors.

However, the ban was lifted under his successor Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo’s government.

The Gadani shipbreaking yard was declared one of the worst workplace environments in the world by labour rights watchdogs including National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Ship Breaking Workers Union (SBWU) and Industrial Global Union.

Labour unions have often demanded that authorities provide basic facilities to ensure health and safety of the labourers at the Gadani ship-breaking yard.