VietNamNet Bridge – One person was killed and seven seriously injured when a scaffolding collapsed even as workers were pouring concrete for constructing a house in Binh Dinh Province early today, Aug 22.

A firefighter cuts the concrete block to retrieve the body of dead worker. — Photo: tuoitre.vn

Local media reported that a falling concrete block instantly killed Dang Thi Ngoc Phuong, 49, a resident of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Quy Nhon City.

The accident occurred at the construction site of a house located at No 96, Bach Dang Street, Quy Nhon City, at about 7am today. The house belongs to Tran Xuan Ba.

“At 6am, a group of 20 workers started pouring concrete. By 6.45am, the work was almost over when the scaffolding unexpectedly collapsed,” Dang Thi Hong, the elder sister of the victim, said.

“At that very moment, Phuong was pushing a cart inside and was ‘buried’ under a huge concrete block,” she told Tuoi tre (Youth).

Those working above and outside luckily escaped death, she said.

The Binh Dinh firefighting police quickly sent special vehicles and 50 employees to the scene.

They used special devices to cut the concrete block into piles of iron and steel before taking out the victim’s body after almost an hour.

Quy Nhon Hospital doctors also arrived to provide first aid to the victim, but she was already dead. The injured were immediately rushed to hospital.

Colonel Pham Dinh Trung said the scaffolding was too weak, causing it to collapse, as it was supporting a heavy load of concrete.

VNS