Sekandar Ali, a resident of Bhatiary Union in Sitakunda upazila, was left devastated after learning that both of his sons had died in a gas leak incident at a ship recycling yard. He could not stop crying as he repeatedly wondered how he would get through the days ahead without his two sons.
On Friday (August 14), a toxic gas leak from the tank of a scrap vessel named LNG occurred at Ferdous Recycling Shipyard, located along the coast of Bhatiary Union. The incident claimed the lives of nine people. Among the deceased were Sekandar Ali’s two sons, Mansur and Nasir.
Having lost both sons at the same time, Sekandar is now inconsolable. His three granddaughters have also been left facing an uncertain future after losing their fathers.
The bodies of Mansur and Nasir were kept at the morgue of Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Sekandar stood there, overcome with grief, while his granddaughters cried beside him. Nasir’s daughter and Mansur’s two daughters wept silently. Their faces reflected the uncertainty that has suddenly taken over their lives after losing their fathers.
Waiting outside the morgue, Sekandar Ali said through tears, “My two sons had been working at that shipyard for 17 years. They had never faced any serious danger before. Now I have lost both of them at once. My children will never call me ‘father’ again.”
He added, “What will happen to my granddaughters? That is the thought that is tormenting me. Because of the negligence of the yard authorities, I have lost my sons. If the injured workers had received medical treatment in time after the accident, perhaps they could have survived.”
Rupa Akter, the elder daughter of deceased Mansur, said Friday was a holiday, but her father and the other workers were allegedly forced to go to the shipyard.
“After the accident in the morning, the injured workers were kept inside the yard for nearly two hours with the gate closed. I believe my father might have survived if he had received medical treatment quickly,” she said.
Rupa said, “Who will look after us now? What will happen to us? How will we survive for the rest of our lives? Hundreds of such questions keep going through our minds. We have no brothers. We are three sisters, and our father was the sole earning member of our family.”
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the area became heavy with mourning as news of the two brothers’ deaths spread among their relatives and neighbors.
Local residents said Nasir and Mansur were both well-respected in the community. They were known as kind and cheerful people and were loved by everyone. Many in the area said they were struggling to accept the sudden deaths of the two brothers.
Ferdous Wahid, owner of the shipyard, said arrangements would be made to provide advanced medical treatment to those injured in the incident. He also said the families of the deceased would receive compensation according to government regulations, along with additional financial assistance.
PT/ra
