The process of manufacturing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) from iron ore and the subsequent hot briquetting procedures generate unwanted by-products in the form of dust and broken chips during most of the stages. Some manufacturers recover these materials and offer them for shipment. Historically, such cargoes have mainly originated from Venezuela and Trinidad, although shipments have also been made from the United States, Mexico and Libya. This cargo has been responsible for a number of casualties in the past, most notably the bulk carrier YTHAN in 2004 in which six crew members lost their lives during explosions that occurred in four of her five cargo holds and which also resulted in the loss of the vessel.
Officer of the Watch 