Two workers have lost their lives at the shipbreaking yards of Aliaga, Turkey, during the dismantling of the former Carnival cruise ship, Carnival Inspiration. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform in a press release reported that the fatal accident took place on July 12, when the workers were suddenly caught by flames in the engine room. The exact circumstances of the fatal accident are still unclear, and an investigation led by local authorities is ongoing and expected to be finalized soon.

Following the Covid-19 outbreak and the global shutdown of the cruise industry, Carnival Corporation sold the Carnival Inspiration to EU-listed yard Ege Çelik. Due to lack of dismantling capacity, Ege Çelik, with approval by Carnival Corporation, subsequently moved the cruise to Metas, a ship recycling facility recently purchased by Ege Çelik but not yet part of the EU list.

The recent tragedy is another sad reminder of how dangerous ship recycling can be. In the last ten months, the Turkish shipbreaking industry has been hit by several accidents. Two workers lost their lives at two separate yards prompting increased concerns about the conditions in Aliaga recycling yard, including the management of hazardous wastes downstream and the lack of transparency on occupational diseases that sicken the workers.

Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform said "The heaping up of ships in Aliağa must not compromise OHS management. Cruise ships are notoriously complex structures full of compartments and potentially deadly hazards that require a skilled workforce and time to take apart. To reduce the current pressure on Aliağa, the EU needs to boost additional capacity in the EU in line with the European Green Deal. There are many ships to scrap in the coming years and those seeking sustainable solutions need more options."