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Bangladesh's Ministry of Industry has fined SN Corporation Shipbreaking Yard Tk 3.5 million and ordered it closed for three months following a deadly explosion on September 7 in Sitakunda that killed six workers and injured six others.
The ministry issued the penalty on September 18 after receiving an investigation report on the incident. The report included 20 recommendations aimed at preventing future incidents.
Sitakunda Upazila Executive Officer KM Rafiqul Islam confirmed the closure order and fine, according to a UNB report.
A letter signed by deputy secretary Sanjay Kumar Ghosh stated that each family of the deceased would receive Tk 700,000 in compensation. This includes Tk 500,000 under Section 45.3 of the Shipbreaking and Recycling Rules, 2011, and an additional Tk 200,000 in accordance with labour laws.
The yard was also fined under multiple sections of the Shipbreaking and Recycling Rules. These fines include Tk 1 million under Section 45.3, Tk 100,000 under Section 46.3, Tk 1 million under Section 46.9, and Tk 500,000 under Section 46.11.
In addition to the fines and closure, the ministry ordered the yard's management to cover all medical expenses for the injured workers and provide them with 12 months' wages as compensation.
The explosion, which left 12 workers severely burned, prompted the ministry to issue recommendations aimed at improving safety measures within the shipbreaking industry. Six of the injured workers remain hospitalised.