Ship Breaking

Ever since my first flight over ship breaking when flying from Dhaka to Chittagong I have wanted to check this place out firsthand. Everyone has been telling me, that it was possible to go about 10 years ago, however since a few documentaries showing how bad these places are for the workers and environment no foreigners have really been allowed, to keep the press down.  This past weekend I was looking for a few heavy hydraulics that are only available around the shipbreaking area. I went with a local store owner who deals in the parts I was looking for. This guy also happened to deal in a ship breaking scrap business. After I purchased my hydraulic equipment he took me for a tour of one of the shipbreaking yards. The materials that come off these ships is quite interesting.  There is a part of town that just deals with parts and pieces that are broken and pulled off old ships (lifejackets, lights, furniture, commercial kitchen equipment, canned goods, pressure vessels, pipes, lifeboats, motors, electronics, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, etc).  The major material from the ships is their steel which is used primarily for making rebar for construction projects. The size and quantity of the ships I could see up and down the coast was unbelievable. My guide told me there were around 120 breaking yards in that area.

(Ships all driven onto the beach at high tide)

(All along the coast just North of Chittagong for miles)

(The ship is then cut apart)

(Large chunks are cut off)

(A winch machine pulls the pieces into shore for easier cutting)

(Natural gas and oxygen torches)

(Large propeller being cut down)

(Old hydraulics pulled off the ships)

(Equipment pulled off the ships)

(A Load of lifejackets heading for town)

Jon