2 Women Killed in Scaffold Collapse in Vietnam

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 3:48 pm under World News

Hanoi: Scaffolding surrounding a building under construction in Ho Chi Minh City collapsed at midnight Monday, killing two and injuring 14, a police official said Wednesday.

“We have just received the news from our colleagues that a rescue team has found the body of one person buried in the rubble, raising the death toll to two,” said Captain Nguyen Van Chuyen of Tan Phu ward police station.

Chuyen said the accident killed 34-year-old female worker Nguyen Thi Lan instantly and buried Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, 24.

Two injured female labourers, Vo Thi Tuyen and Nguyen Thi Quyen, both 23, were in critical condition. Twelve others suffered minor injuries, and were released from hospital Tuesday.

The accident occurred when the fifth floor of a seven-storey building under construction collapsed suddenly. Fifty workers were still on the 22,000-square-meter site, a project of Phu My Hung Corporation, one of Vietnam’s top real estate firms.

Local media quoted police saying the collapsed area was about 1,000 square meters, and that the scaffolding had weakened due to the wet weather in recent days.

Directly after the collapse, the company compensated the victims, giving 29 dollars to Lan’s family 118 dollars to each injured worker.

Chuyen said further investigation was underway to determine responsibility. (dpa)