24 days have passed since the terrible explosion that ripped through a beached FSO at Pakistan’s ship recycling area of Gadani, but the government is still unable to announce a final death toll. Families with unaccounted workers from the yard have spent the past three weeks in a desperate search, visiting hospitals and morgues with no luck. The current death toll stands at 28, but it is set to rise.
“The government has not taken any action against the people actually responsible for this devastating tragedy,” Nasir Mansoor, the National Trade Union Federation deputy secretary general, said yesterday at a meeting at the Karachi Press Club.
Mansoor demanded the government also reveal more findings from their investigation into the accident.
Gadani remains closed as investigations continue.
The tragic Gadani earlier this month took place due to smuggling of oil, an initial report by the ministry for shipping and ports has revealed. A welder was working on a gas cylinder on the beached ship when the explosion occurred – a vicious four-day fire then ensued. The report showed the dire conditions for workers at Pakistan’s main recycling area as well as the fact that Gadani has become a hub for the smuggling of foreign goods.