Families of Gadani ship fire victims given compensation

QUETTA: The families of victims of Gadani ship breaking yard were given compensation cheques by representatives of the Balochistan government.

The ceremony to distribute cheques was held at Khall area in Timergara. MPA Sanaullah, Gadani ship breaking yard corporation’s representatives’ Seth Abdul Ghani, Babu Karim Jan, Gul Badshah and district councillor Malik Mohammad Zeb distributed cheques among heirs of the victims.

Nine out of the 29 victims belonged to Khall, Toormang and Bebiawar areas of Lower and Upper Dir.

Each family was provided with Rs2 million (Rs1.5 million by the ship-breakers while Rs500,000 by the Balochistan government) as per decision made earlier by the trade union, ship breaking yard owners and Balochistan government.

On November 1, 2016, at least 12 workers were killed and more than 50 injured after a huge blast ripped through an oil tanker at a ship-breaking yard.

Laborers in Gaddani often work in poor conditions without basic protective gear.