Before the accident, shakes in the scaffold’s construction site had forced several workers to run towards an emergency staircase. Afterward, the site commander issued a safe signal and instructed people to return to work. Less than 30 minutes later, the scaffold collapsed, bringing all the workers down.
40 year old worker Hoang Thanh Mai told to the media after witnessing the collapse which has killed 13 workers and injured 28 others on the construction site of Taiwanese invested Formosa steel complex in the north central province of Ha Tinh yesterday.
Mai from Nghe An province has miraculously escaped death from the accident and been treated at the General Hospital in Ky Anh District.
His countryman Tran Quang Tuan, 43 year old, told it was rainy at that time when the scaffold vibrated, leaned, fell down, and shortly buried the workers.
Forty one year old Nguyen Van The from Quang Binh province said they began the night shift at 7 p.m. While working, they heard loud noise and the scaffold dropped down. The workers frightened, screamed and skedaddled. Mr. The and some others rushed to save the victims.
“My nephew fortunately survived but his femurs were broken,” he said.
Rescue forces worked through the night on March 25 until the following day. The debris was basically removed on the same day night.
Deputy Director of Ha Tinh General Hospital Tran Thi Dung said that the health of hospitalized workers had positively recovered. They are expected to be discharged from the hospital on March 27.
The management board of Vung Ang Economic Zone--where Formosa project is being implemented, Ha Tinh authorities, Samsung C&T Corporation--the main contractor of the scaffold site, and Formosa representatives have provided the dead worker families and injured workers with financial assistances.
Mr. Thai Chi Phap, representative of Formosa project, said that they would demand the contractor to appropriately compensate the victims.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has shortened his business trip in Quang Ngai province to operate rescue works in the accident site.
Ha Tinh province People’s Committee has asked relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the accident, said deputy chairman Dang Quoc Khanh.
The province Police has set up a steering board for investigation.
Representative of Samsung C&T said that the company had bought insurance for all the workers. They will give further financial assistance to them.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday sent his condolence to families of dead workers and urged Ha Tinh province to find out those who have still been trapped under the debris, treat the injured, organized funerals for the dead and visit their families.
He ordered Ha Tinh province leaders and authorized agencies to investigate and clarify the reason of the accident and strictly handle those responsible for the case.
The province, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the Ministries of Defense, Health, Industry and Trade and Police should ensure security and order in the accident site.
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