The investigation report into the accident at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries in Chattogram has identified safety deficiencies and negligence at the facility.

Action will be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law, said Industries, Commerce and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir.

He made the remarks at a press briefing held at the conference room of the Ministry of Industries on Monday.

Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said an accident occurred at the recycling yard of Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries on August 14. During shipbreaking operations, toxic hydrogen sulfide gas was released while a ballast tank was being punctured, causing ten workers at the site to die after being exposed to the gas.

An investigation committee was formed to uncover the facts and prevent a recurrence of the accident, and it has submitted its report. The minister said the report identified areas where negligence and safety deficiencies were present at the yard.

He added that the government learned lessons from the incident. The ship recycling sector is currently a developing industry, he said, noting that several yards have now received “green certification” compared with the past, while others are undergoing the certification process.

AKM Benjamin Riazi, additional secretary of the Ministry of Industries, said their investigation found that workers were not provided with gas masks or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while puncturing the tank.

Although the hazardous work was carried out on a holiday, the safety manager, ambulance and emergency rescue team were not present at the site. The investigation also found significant discrepancies between the list of workers employed on the day of the accident and the approved list submitted to the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board (BSRB).

Regarding future measures and legal action, he said the environmental clearance for the vessel involved in the accident had already expired, while the yard had no CCTV cameras. An overall review made it clear that the yard owner and safety team had been grossly negligent. So the investigation committee recommended punitive action against the owner under Rules 45(3) and 46(6) of the Ship Breaking and Recycling Rules, 2011.

He also said a total of 35 recommendations had been submitted to prevent similar accidents in the future, including making sample testing and digital reporting of ballast tanks on imported vessels mandatory.