20 October 2012

Gadani shipbreaking yard: Three labourers crushed, several hurt

Quetta—At least three labourers died and several others injured when heavy load fell over them while working in the Gadani shipbreaking yard on the Balochistan coast here Friday. According to details, labourers were busy in routine work at the shipbreaking yard, about 50 kilometres northwest of Karachi, when heavy iron material from a ship’s deck fell on them.

Three labourers were killed on the spot while several others sustained wounds. The injured labourers were rushed to Karachi hospital for treatment where according to hospital condition of some of them was serious. It should be mentioned that Gadani shipbreaking yard is one of the world’s largest ship breaking operations where ship breaking has been taking place since before Pakistan’s independence. Thousands of local labourers work in unsafe conditions, often for a pittance.

With annual capacity of breaking over a hundred ships of all sizes, the yard is located on a 10 km stretch of beach at Gadani, 50 kilometres from Karachi city. Thousands of Karachiites daily visit the Gadani beach for its majestic beauty. Fires and accidents are common in the shipbreaking yard where workers extract metals, steel pipes and valves, electricity cables, machinery and wood from derelict ships.

Source: Pak Observer. 20 October 2012
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=178906

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