At least three workers were killed and several others injured as a chunk of ship fell down on the workers at a ship-breaking yard at Sitakunda in Chittagong on Saturday evening.
The deceased — Muhammad Faruk, 30, Abul Bashar, 35, and Muhammad Kalam, 20 — were workers of the Sima Steel Yard, owned by Muhammad Shafi.
Witnesses said the incident had taken place as a chunk of the ship the workers were pulling down fell on them.
At least 12 workers were pulling the chunk, witnesses said, adding that the death toll could increase.
The ship-breaking yard authorities reportedly restricted entry of anyone to the ship-breaking yard after the accident.
Injured worker Aminul Islam, 25, was being treated in Chittagong Medical College Hospital till about 10:30pm.
The Sitakunda police officer-in-charge, Nur Mohammad, said a case had been filed in this connection.
About 500 workers were killed and 6,500 were seriously injured in ship-breaking yards In 21 years, according to available records.
At least 23 workers were killed and 44 workers were maimed in accidents in ship-breaking yards at Sitakunda in 2009.
Saturday’s incident took to at least 13 the number of workers killed in accidents at ship-breaking yards of Sitakunda in 2010.
