Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called for investigations into a series of grim incidents which took place over the weekend in the northern province of Quang Ninh and central province of Da Nang.

The Royal Lotus Hotel construction site in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang.

The PM sent his condolences to the victims' families and ordered local authorities to provide them with support. Responsible agencies were charged with the task of investigating the causes behind the incidents.

In addition, local labour departments were told to remain vigilant regarding measures taken to ensure work safety and prevent similar work place incidents from taking place.

Five workers were killed and one was in critical condition after a hoist felt down from the 10th storey (about 40m high) while carrying material and a group of workers up to 18th floor at the Royal Lotus Hotel construction site in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang on Saturday.

Two workers died immediately and three died at the hospital. Only one worker, who was last reported to be in critical condition, was still being treated at the hospital.

The construction site, which is close to completion, was invested and built by Duyen Hai Company under the Defence Ministry's Military Zone.

The incident was the worst of its kind that ever occurred at a work site in the central city.

In a separate incident, three people were killed in a landslide incident, which reportedly took place around midnight on Saturday at the Japanese-based Taiheiyo Shinju's pearl farm in Van Don District, Quang Ninh.

Thousands of cubic metres of earth and rocks collapsed on the farm's cafeteria and security outposts. At around 1.30 pm yesterday, the bodies of the three victims were retrieved after hours of intensive digging by rescue workers.

Also, last Saturday night, a car went off the road and fell down a cliff in the vicinity of Yen Minh District, northern Ha Giang Province, killing four of its seven passengers at the scene and sent three others to the hospital with grave injuries. Local police is investigating the case. 

VNS