Fears were growing last night over the fate of tens of workers who are missing following a tragic accident at Dubai Dry Docks which killed at least 13.
The men were working on ships in the dry dock when two panels of the massive watertight gates ruptured, allowing the sea to cascade in.
Rescuers were last night still trying to determine the final toll, but 13 dead were confirmed along with 23 missing and 23 injured.
A full scale rescue operation involving divers, police, army, dock workers and helicopters swung into action when the alarm was raised at 9am.
Five ships in the dock were damaged as the seawater flooded in, trapping many of the men working on them.
The injured were rushed to Rashid Hospital and Al Baraha Hospital, and some were treated at the Dry Docks' own clinic.
One workman, who asked not to be named, said: "I was working with 60 others on a barge in the dock. Everything happened so suddenly. When I saw the water gushing in I just dropped everything and ran as fast as possible. When I reached a safe spot I turned back and was shocked at the scene.
"I saw men running to escape. Some of my co-workers had drowned. The impact of the water rushing in was tremendous. I have no idea how many of my crew members have been injured or have survived. The barge we were working on - Sept-350 - had tilted. But my fears are for the others who were working on barge CB-1, which sank. There were more working on that barge. As it was a flat-decked barge, all the workers were inside it. They are sure to have been trapped inside."
Another worker who escaped, Hafiz Ali, an Indian, said: "It all happened so quickly. We couldn't even call for help. The force of the water gushing in was alarming.
"Maintenance work on the gate was taking place at the time. Officials were quick to act, and in no time the injured were on their way to hospital."
The five vessels in the dock at the time were Princess, a tanker of 57,000 dead weight tons (DWT); Indira 1, a cargo vessel of 7,000 DWT; Key Bermuda, a jack-up-rig; September-350, a barge of 5,000 DWT; and CB-1, a barge of 4,000 DWT.
Brig. Sharafuddin Hussain, Commander in Chief of Dubai Criminal Investigation Department, said: "We have our own people working in this rescue operation.
"Our main priority was to pump out the water which had flooded the dock. Our frogmen are going down to recover further casualties."
Asked if they had accepted help from the U.S. Navy, he said that they did not accept it because they have the appropriate facilities themselves. "We are handling the case," he said.
To a query on how many workers were at the site when the incident took place, Brig. Sharafuddin said: "We have no idea. It is difficult to give numbers at this time as we are concentrating on the rescue operation. The entire investigation is being carried out by Dubai Police."
| The accident site at the Dubai Dry Docks. - Picture: Dubai TV |
The accident scene was visited by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry.
As the news of the accident spread, anxious relatives gathered at gate number one for information about loved ones who may have been involved in the tragedy.
Police as well as security officials at gate number one tried their best to provide assistance to those who came seeking information.
Some of the injured were named as: Sonal Kumaran, 24, Indian; Elmer Ofloria, 30, Filipino; S. Naji Kumar,35, Indian; Joseph Nicolas,26, Indian; Ariel Debenco, 34, Filipino; Nisol Ogenero, 52, Polish; Mario Z. Pental, 42, Filipino; B.B. D.,42, Indian; K.B. Shahji, 39, Indian; and M. Sanjay, 28, Indian.
Four of the dead were identified as Joseph James, Marcelo Somangang and Romario, 50, all Filipinos; and Alex Samuel, an Indian. One body remains unidentified.
The three diplomatic missions representing workers involved - Bangladeshi, Philippines and Indian - are trying to obtain more information about the number of casualties.
| Army rescue teams with divers and rescue equipment arriving at the Dubai Dry Docks after the major accident that occurred there yesterday morning. ©Gulf News |
"There are about 15,000 Filipinos working at the Dry Docks in various capacities. According to the information I have got, the number of Filipinos affected could be high."
I.P. Mohanan, labour attache at the Indian Consulate, also said they were trying for more information about the number of casualties. "We are trying to get through to the Dry Docks. Hospital visits are also being arranged."
M. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, the Acting Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said his office is keeping a close watch on the situation. "We are in touch with the authorities. But we are yet to get the exact number of Bangladeshis on the causality list."
Bangladeshi community sources revealed that there are an estimated 600 to 800 Bangladeshis employed at the Dry Docks.
DUBAI DRY DOCKS FACT FILE:
(Compiled by Gulf News Research Centre)
Dubai Dry Docks is a leading ship repair yard that serves shipowners from more than 40 countries. It has a wide range of modern facilities and equipment, which are reviewed regularly for improvement.
In 1971, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum assigned a team to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a ship repair facility. This was inaugurated in 1983.
The yard covers an area of 200 hectares. It has its ow
