SN Corporation’s shipbreaking yard: 9 deaths in 8 incidents over 10 years

A devastating explosion yesterday in the pump house of the ship MT Suvarna Swarajya, which was being dismantled at SN Corporation Shipbreaking Yard in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila, claimed the life of a safety manager. Eleven other workers and officials were critically injured in the incident.

Seven of the injured, with 80-90% of their bodies burned, are currently fighting for their lives in the Critical Care Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital Burn Unit. Four others are receiving treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

This is not the first such incident at SN Corporation. According to data from the Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), the shipbreaking yard has seen a series of fatal accidents over the past decade. 

Between 2013 and 2023, six separate accidents at SN Corporation’s three shipbreaking units resulted in nine deaths and multiple injuries.

SN Corporation operates three yards in Sitakunda, named Unit-1, Unit-2, and Unit-3. In 2013, one worker was killed, followed by three more deaths in 2015 in separate incidents. Additional fatalities occurred in 2017, 2018, and 2020, each claiming one life. 

The most recent fatal incident before Saturday’s explosion was in 2021, where two workers lost their lives. Yesterday’s explosion took place at Unit-2, which had received Green Certification for compliance with international safety standards in 2023.

In response to the explosion, the Ministry of Industry immediately suspended all operational activities at SN Corporation yesterday evening. The Department of Environment (DoE) followed suit today, suspending the Environmental Clearance Certificate of the yard and halting all shipbreaking activities for the MT Suvarna Swarajya.

The Chattogram District Administration has also formed an eight-member committee to investigate the incident, with the report expected within seven working days.

According to a press release, the Department of Environment, under the directive of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, announced that the yard had breached several conditions of its environmental clearance, and has demanded an explanation from SN Corporation within three working days as to why its operations should not be permanently shut down.

Preliminary investigations suggest multiple violations of environmental and safety standards at the yard, contributing to the tragic explosion. As a result, both SN Corporation (Unit-2) and the MT Suvarna Swarajya shipbreaking operations have been suspended until further notice.

Pratap Chandra Biswas, additional secretary of the Ministry of Industry, confirmed that all types of operations at SN Corporation have been suspended until further notice, reinforcing the government’s stance on ensuring safety compliance at shipbreaking yards.

In addition to these measures, the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) has issued a formal notice demanding compensation for the victims and rehabilitation of the injured workers. 

The notice called for the suspension of all shipbreaking activities at SN Corporation and pressed for the immediate provision of medical care, compensation for the families of the deceased, and rehabilitation of the injured workers.

BELA’s notice was sent to multiple government bodies, including the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, and local authorities in Chattogram.