The central province of Quang Nam’s departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; Heath; Natural Resources and Environment have teamed up with Chu Lai Open Economic Zone and Public Security authorities to investigate the 43 labourers found unconscious at the Korean Panko Tam Thang Company in the last two days.

The central province’s People’s Committee, Nguyen Hong Quang urged the Korean company to report on the accident at the factory in the provincial Tam Ky City’s Tam Thăng Industrial Zone.

According to an initial report from doctors at local Minh Thien General Hospital, 23 workers had felt faint and were taken to the hospital yesterday afternoon. Most of them were released after one day of treatment.

However, 20 other workers suffocated at the factory around 8am this morning before going to the hospital. They were all diagnosed with the same symptom as the other workers suffered one day earlier.

It’s the first case of such mass unconsciousness to occur at a garment factory in the province.

The Korean company has yet to give any report or comment.

The foreign-owned Panko Tam Thang Company — which started Vietnamese operation earlier this year with an investment of US$70 million in the 193ha — employs over 2,000 workers.

It was designed to produce 48,000 tonnes of textiles and dyed textile products each year.

In July, over 2,000 workers had a four-day strike due to dispute salary, overtime payment and poor lunch standards.

Quang Nam Province has 91 textile and garment companies employing over 30,000 workers. 

VNS