According to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, in the second quarter of 2018, 169 ships out of 220 which were demolished were sent to South Asian beaches.

During the period, American shipowners top the list with 26 vessels beached in South Asian yards, followed by Greek and UAE owners.

In the end of April, Pakistan re-opened the market to the import of tankers. In two months alone, twenty-two tankers reached the shores of Gadani to be demolished. Industry sources show that low freight rates resulted in the demolition of over 100 tankers in the first half of this year.

Only three ships had a European flag – Greece, Malta and Norway – when they were beached during the quarter.

It is noting that more than half of the ships sold to South Asia this quarter changed flag to the registries of Comoros, Niue, Palau and St. Kitts and Nevis just weeks before reaching the beach.

What's more, the Platform's report showed that between April and June, six workers have lost their lives and seven others have been severely injured when breaking ships in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Another worker was reported dead after an accident at a shipbreaking yard in Alang, India.