Rescue workers were able to save 20 labourers stuck on an oil tanker ship which caught fire at the Gadani ship-breaking yard, police officials said on Monday.

According to officials, the fire erupted when welding work was being conducted to dismantle the stationary vessel.

PML-N's Sanaullah Zehri-led provincial government had placed a ban on dismantling oil tankers at the yard following a series of such infernos, including the November 2016 incident that had claimed 26 lives.

However, the ban was lifted under his successor Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo's government.

Labour unions have often demanded that authorities provide basic facilities to ensure health and safety of the labourers at the Gadani ship-breaking yard.