NGO Shipbreaking Platform reported that the Probo Koala, now re named the Gulf Jash, a ship which caused an environmental and human rights disaster in the Ivory Coast in August 2006, has been sold for scrapping on the infamous ship breaking beaches of Chittagong in Bangladesh.
Environmental, human rights and labor rights organizations represented by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform fear that the Probo Koala will be allowed to perpetuate its deadly legacy by being broken down in unsafe and environmentally damaging conditions. The NGOs call on the government of Bangladesh to refuse the import of the death ship and say no to illegal toxic waste trade. It is expected that the Probo Koala contains many tonnes of hazardous asbestos, PCBs, toxic paints, fuel and chemical residues. Currently the ship is located in Vietnam.
In 2006, the transnational company Trafigura used the Probo Koala to illegally dump 528 tonnes of toxic waste in Abidjan, the largest city of the Ivory Coast, causing the death of 16 people according to the Ivorian authorities. Global Marketing Systems, a US company specialised in the brokering of vessels for demolition, confirmed it had bought the ship last week, but had so far not disclosed its final destination. However, its website listed that one of the advantages of utilizing Bangladesh as a destination for end of life vessels is the lack of requirements for testing for gas residues within the ship. These gases might ignite and explode when a ship breaking worker uses a cutting torch.
source NGO Shipbreaking / ShipRecycling.blogspot.com
Further to this report GMS have pointed out that they are not owners of the vessel GULF JASH, as widely reported in the India media.
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