Foreman killed as crane collapses at KPT: angry workers detain ship

03 Apr, 2009

The stevedoring staffs at Karachi Port have demanded the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) not to allow sailing to an old jute ship, on which one of their colleagues died early in the morning on Thursday due to crane collapse. According to reliable sources M/v Bengalor Mamta discharging thousands of tons jute at berth number 21 broke and fell down on two foremen performing their duty on the deck at around 8:40am.
"The crane broke and fell down because the ship is very old," sources added. They said that the unfortunate incident, which stands frequent at sea ports due to a slapdash attitude of the money-crazy ship owners, who do not get their outdated vessels scrapped on due time, had left Tayyab killed and Umer deprived of his one arm. The injured foreman, who was serving in Trade Master Stevedoring Company along with his late colleague, was reportedly out of danger, said the sources.
Soon after the incident a group of enraged foremen demanded the Port Security Force of KPT not to allow the vessel to leave the port until compensation was given to the affected families, they added. According to sources the work at M/v Bengalor Mamta, that was yet to unload 3,000 tons of jute, was suspended and the surveyors were finding out the cause of crane collapse. Local agent for the vessel is Golden Shipping, sources concluded.

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