Ship demolition report 30/7/2013

Alang
Tor [VC] IMO 8118621 Bulk carrier built 1982 - 30,435 dwt
Formentera Jet [ES] IMO 8615253 Passenger vessel uilt 1987 - 125 dwt
Abha [SA] IMO 8121745 Roro vessel built 1983 - 42,600 dwt

Other
St Kiril [LR] IMO 8045751 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 38,883 dwt
Barbaros G [PA] IMO 8118126 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 30,650 dwt
Cantagalo [TZ] IMO 8113449 Tanker built 1990 - 18,836 dwt

Ship demolition report 29/7/2013

Chittagong
Fu Da [HK] IMO 9162057 Bulk carrier built 1997 - 71,330 dwt

Alang
Seagul [LR] IMO 9107655 Tanker built 1996 - 301,653 dwt (Atlantic)
Xiang An (Tango] [KM] IMO 7712688 Bulk carrier built 1979 - 26,811 dwt
Cabal [KN] IMO 7424827 Cargo vessel built 1976 - 30,315 dwt

Gadani
Ce Shilla [LR] IMO 8806539 Tanker built 1990 - 106,912 dwt
Titan Ruchira [PA] IMO 8920921 FSO vessel built 1991 - 284,317 dwt
Titan Tulshyan [PA] IMO 9039638 Vlcc built 1993 - 299,718 dwt

Aliaga
Donna Dina [MD] IMO 7819840 Cargo vessel built 1979 - 5,000 dwt
Timaru Star [BM] IMO 8917596 Reefer built 1993 - 11,733 dwt

Gadani ship workers left to their own fate

Despite eight fatal accidents within a month, work at the ship-breaking industry at Gaddani goes on as usual. The labourers here, all daily wage earners, have witnessed so many accidents that they get confused when asked about the recent casualties involving two labourers who fell to their death.

Asked if they tried putting out the fire or if the fire department was called, Mr Khan said: “It was an oil fire that spreads rapidly. They had gone very quickly before any fire tender could arrive here.”

“There was only one welder who died and not three,” says another man working on separating the borders from an iron sheet. “That man, too, was separating an iron curtain in the ship with his blow torch and it separated suddenly from an odd angle and fell on him,” he added.

“I think you must be referring to the men who fell from the ladder,” Shahroze Khan hailing from Mardan interrupted him. He said the labourers, were named Yunus and Ashraf, and one of them was climbing up the ship on a monkey ladder when he slipped. “He fell on the other one working his way up at quite a distance below him and both fell into the ship’s hull into the oil and gas pocket that also has toxic chemicals. They didn’t survive,” he said.

“Ship breaking is dangerous work. Anything that involves working with heavy iron is dangerous. Still we work here day in and day out at Gaddani for money,” he said.

Asked if his family was worried or concerned about his working in such dangerous conditions, Shahroze Khan gave a short laugh. “All they are concerned about is the money that I make sure reaches them every month. I earn around Rs30,000 a month. Where else can an illiterate labourer like me make that kind of money?” he asked. “If this place is written as my place of earning I will keep on working here. If my end is also written here then it is my luck!” he remarked.

“Only the labourer who fills out clay pots and pitchers with water is safe from harm. All the other jobs here carry maximum risk,” said his supervisor, Mohammad Bashir, who hails from Gujranwala. He said he had been working at Gaddani for 35 years. “Look at me now. My hair has turned grey. When I first came here, I didn’t even have a moustache. But I learned the ropes here as time passed. The hardest and most risky work here is right there on the ship. That’s the real ship breaking. But accidents occur here on the ground as well. We are all vulnerable,” he said.

“Having worked here for several years, I happen to know how to carry out all kinds of laborious jobs,” said 50-year-old Allah Diya, another senior worker, who hails from Multan. “And we have to do as told. I was 16 when I first came here. And since then I have seen so many fatal accidents at Gaddani that I have lost count,” he said. “The good thing is that I make good money, of course. And that allows me to go home and spend time with my family after every four to five months,” he explained.

Mohammad Jawaid, a 25-year-old worker from Burewala, said that he had injured his foot last year. “A heavy metal piece fell on my foot. It wasn’t so bad I couldn’t work for several days,” he said.

Asked if he was given medical allowance or free medical treatment, Mr Jawaid said he wasn’t. “We are all daily wagers here. So there is no medical allowance. Still my boss is kind enough to not cut off my daily wage during the days I am recuperating due to an injury or illness. So I continue to receive my Rs506 a day,” he said.

About the labourers working at Gadani, he said that they were mostly from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “There are hardly any locals doing shipbreaking. We are more skilled and hardworking,” he boasted.

Another worker at one of the shipbreaking yards, who declined giving his name, said that there was a hygiene and environment department of the government that was not doing its job at Gadani. “Before breaking a ship, people from the department are supposed to come here and check if the environment in the ship is fit for working. They need to see if the ship still has oil or if there are toxic gases accumulating there. There should be no blow torches where there is gas. But these people don’t even guide us about such things. Instead they come to see our employers for extortion. That done, they gave them a certificate to carry on with the work,” he said.

“And you would think that there should at least be hospitals or clinics … ambulances where there is so much risk to life, but there is only one old ambulance, which doesn’t even start sometimes, to cover all the ship-breaking yards at Gadani,” he added to his grievances.

Wages & welfare

Meanwhile, Musharraf Humayoun, finance secretary of the Ship-Breaking Labour Union, Gadani, said that accidents did happen at Gadani more than other places and that was why they had made sure that the families of the victims got maximum compensation.

“There have been eight deaths during the past month. These men are not permanent workers. There is no workers’ welfare fund for them. Yet someone has to take responsibility for the accidents. The usual compensation given by the government is Rs200,000 but in our case we have made it Rs300,000. And adding the death grant it amounts to Rs500,000,” he said.

The secretary also said that they had fought for and got implemented a 22 per cent increase in workers’ salaries. “As of July 1, 2013, the daily wage of the workers will range between Rs600 and Rs650,” he said.

On July 15, there were at least three workers arguing with their supervisor over payment of wages. They said that they were paid a collective amount of their daily wage after every 15 days, which their employer was avoiding to do on Monday. “Yes, they do get paid after every 15 days but delays also happen. Still if the employers are being too difficult, the workers can always report to us and then we intervene to get them their right,” he claimed.

Ship demolition report 24/7/2013

Chittagong
Grand Rise [PA] IMO 8105636 Bulk carrier built 1981 - 64,165 dwt
Canarsie Princess [PH] IMO 8309244 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 42,842 dwt
Irini [MH] IMO 8802210 Bulk carrier built 1988 - 69,734 dwt

Alang
Amir Joy [PA] IMO 8018924 Cargo vessel built 1982 at A&P Sunderland uk - 26,400 dwt
Wind Force [MD] IMO 8201882 Cargo vessel built 1982 - 6,994 dwt


Other
Fulton [DK] IMO 7222499 Vlcc built 1972 - 230,906 dwt

Ship demolition report 19/7/2013

Alang
Rossa [LR] IMO 7361520 Bulk carrier built 1975 - 14,176 dwt
Diddle ]PA[ IMO 7725714 Bulk carrier built 1980 - 16,753 dwt ex Wadag II - Polsteam
Ji Yang [KN] IMO 8223373 Reefer built 1983 - 6,700 dwt
Provider [PA] IMO 8223567 Bulk carrier built 1985 - 38,597 dwt

Gadani
OSX 4 [LR] IMO 9050565 Vlcc built 1994 - 301,862 dwt

Aliaga
Beau [PA] IMO 7715379 Passenger roro vessel built 1979 - 3,450 dwt
Toufic K [TG] IMO 6609327 Cargo vessel built 1966 - 2,100 dwt
Caffer Reis [VC] IMO 8720967 Cargo vessel built 1987 - 5,756 dwt
Adiyaman [TR] IMO 7305007 Cargo vessel built 1973 - 5,414 dwt
Malbec [SL] IMO 6919289 Cargo vessel built 1968 - 3,309 dwt
Penelope [CY] IMO 7400261 Passenger roro built 1975 - 3,949 dwt
Captain Johnny [TR] IMO 7904724 Cargo vessel built 1980 - 6,019 dwt
Jasmine [MD] IMO 7219155 Cargo vessel built 1972 - 2,350 dwt
Nour A [KM] IMO 7405649 Cargo vessel built 1976 - 4,028 dwt
Mermaid Pride [SL] IMO 8857069 Cargo vessel built 1975 - 3,060 dwt

China
Xiang Tai [LR] IMO 8520393 Container vessel built 1986 - 18,070 dwt

Chittagong
Sea Emerald [PA] IMO 8405816 Bulk carrier built 1986 - 37,895 dwt

Ship demolition report 18/7/2013

Alang

Eyrene [LR] IMO 9070644 Container vessel built 1993 - 29,931 dwt

Malyovitza [BG] IMO 8203359 Bulk carrier built 1984 - 30,650 dwt

Trinidad [BZ] IMO 7525504 Bulk carrier built 1977 - 19,508 dwt

Chittagong

Baltic Pearl [BZ] IMO 7930137 Cargo vessel built 1982 - 38,787 dwt

Tahir Kiran [TR] IMO 7433173 Bulk carrier built 1981 - 37.971 dwt

Other

hammonia Balticum [AG] IMO 8910108 Container vessel built 1993 - 12,715 dwt

OSX 5 [LR] IMO 9050577 Vlcc built 1995 - 301,862 dwt (possible Gadani delivery)

Ship demolition report 12/7/2013

Gadani
Naviga [LR] IMO 9150365 Crude oil tanker built 1998 - 150,841 dwt

China
Fu Kuo Hsin [PA] IMO 7327718 Cargo vessel built 1973 - 22,186 dwt

Other
Seaboard Star [PA] 7812830 Roro vessel built 1979 - 12,161 dwt
Maridive Explorer [EG] IMO 7716854 Research vessel built 1977 - 650 dwt
Venus [?] IMO 7111078 Passenger vessel built 1971 - 16,710 dwt
Petrolimex 04 [VN] IMO 8716148 Oil tanker built 1988 - 29,998 dwt
Honour [CY] IMO 8718122 Cintainer vessel built 1989 - 49,262 dwt

Ship demolition report 11 July 2013

Mumbai
Pratibha Tapi [IN] IMO 8700400 Tanker built 1987 - 41,161 dwt
Pratibha Indayani [IN] IMO 8100430 Tanker built 1983 - 32,042 dwt

Possible Alang delivery
Massimo M [IT] IMO 7411387 Roro vessel built 1974 - 10,320 dwt ex Tor Neringa

Other
Phoenix Star [CA] IMO 6821937 Great lakes bulker built 1968 - 28,499 dwt
Oriental Swan [SL] IMO 8419063 Tanker built 1985 - 7,569 dwt
St Ioan [PA] IMO 8604620 Bulk carrier buil5 1988 -  74,400 dwt

Possible China delivery
Heng Tong 5 [PA] IMO 8111582 Bulk carrier built 1983 (UK) - 67,281 dwt
Built by BAE Goven, Scotland as Sir John Fisher.

Chittagong
Buxmoon [LR] IMO 9109017 Container vessel built 1995 - 23,130 dwt
Santa Barbra [LR] IMO 9006502 Container vessel built 1991 - 30,000 dwt

Four workers die at Gadani ship breaking yard

Four workers met accidental deaths at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in two days (June 30-July 1) owing to the absence of any first aid and medical facility there, The News learnt on Wednesday.

Sarzameen slipped from a ship’s deck and fell to death in the tank while working at plot numbers 23 and 24.

On June 30, a gas cylinder exploded with a huge bang at another ship at plot number 32 while being dismantled, which claimed the life of a worker, Naseebzada, and left two others, Ashraf Lohar and Fayyaz, seriously injured. Both the injured workers expired last Monday (July 1) at a private hospital in Karachi.

According to their colleagues, the explosion was so powerful that it hurled Naseebzada off the ship into the sea from where his body was recovered.

President Ship Breaking Mazdoor Union Bashir Mahmoodani has told this correspondent that around 15,000 workers earn their livelihood at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in harsh conditions. He says no safety equipment is available to the workers of this industry.

There is only one ambulance at the entire yard, which consists of 130 plots owned by around 40 people.

The Gadani yard has no first aid facility and in case of any incident the victims have to be taken to the Rahman Hospital in Banaras, Karachi, 50 kilometres from the yard. The ambulance charges Rs2,500 for taking casualties to the hospital.

Mahmoodani says that while dismantling a ship, workers have no knowledge about which stuff they are working on. “The labourers usually have no idea whether they are working on a tank that contains some poisonous gas, petrol or some other dangerous chemical. These are the reasons why many accidents occur at the yard and claim the lives of several workers or leave them disabled.”

He says the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye on these violations of labour rules and regulations.

Mahmoodani says only eight to 10 workers are registered with the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI) at a plot out of a total of 400 workers engaged at the entire yard.

The deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, Nasir Mansoor, says the ship-breaking industry happens to be a huge source of revenue generation for the government but at the same time it needs specific legislation for the welfare of workers on the pattern of that for mineworkers.

He says that generally each ship carries a toxic chemical asbestos that prevents eruption of fire, but during the dismantling of a ship this chemical sometime penetrates into the lungs of labourers and could not be removed, which subsequently causes the death of affected workers.

Nasir says enacting proper legislation would help ensure taking precautionary measures to avoid the toxic effects of such chemicals on labourers as well as keeping the environment free of pollution.

Source: The News. 5 July 2013

http://www.thenews.com.pk

Ship demolition report 11/7/2013

Alang
Murmansk [MT] IMO 8118140 Bulk carrier built 1984 (UK) 30,650 dwt
Veracruz Express [BM] IMO 8406298 Container vessel built 1986 - 40,870 dwt
Shoureng [PA] IMO 9003615 Bulk carrier built 1992 - 231,931 dwt
Zenith 4 [CK] IMO 8807703 - Cargo vessel built 1990 - 40,187 dwt
Maria V [MH] IMO 8315281 Bulk carrier built 1987 - 69,229 dwt
Habib [TZ[ IMO 7631236 Passenger roro built 1978 - 3,372  dwt
Rainforest [PA] IMO 8521804 reefer built 1985 - 13,536 dwt
Anji [DE] IMO 9110561 Cintainer vessel built 1995 - 45,470 dwt
Soy 10 [KN] IMO 7430711 Roro vessel built 1979 - 14,484 ex Finneagle
Elizabeth [KN] IMO 9064774 Bulk carrier built 1993 - 20,140 dwt

China
Hoegh Trapeze [NO] IMO 8130966 Vehicle carrier built 1983 - 15,500 dwt
Star Americal [NO] IMO 8508280 Cargo vessel built 1985 - 30,168 

          Aliaga

          Birlik 1 [PA] IMO 7325241 Passenger roro built 1973 - 5,500 dwt

Grenna [Denmark] 
Isa [MD] IMO 6901539 Cargo vessel built 1968 - 1,400 dwt

Chittagong 
Buzaloon [LR] IMO 9109029 container vessel built 1994 - 23,130 dwt
Ava [ ] IMO 8208945 Bulk carrier built 1983 - 31,431 dwt