VietNamNet Bridge - After three days in hospital, two female workers of the Z121 firework factory in Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho province, died of the severe burns, bringing the death toll in the explosion to 26.

Death toll in firework warehouse explosion in Phu Tho rises to 24

Mr. Ha Ke San, Phu Tho Vice President, confirmed that Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, 32 years old and Ms. Phan Thi Ngoc, 27 years old, Z121 factory workers, died after three days in the Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital in Hanoi due to severe burns.

According to Colonel, Dr. Nguyen Viet Luong, from the Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital, seven patients who were transferred from Phu Tho are severely burned. A number of patients have up to 90 percent of their body burned, respiratory burns, accompanied with wounds, such as Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan.

This morning, October 18, the families of the victims organized funerals for the two female workers in Vo Lao commune, Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho province.

Over 1,300 households damaged in firework warehouse explosion

Three days after the firework warehouse explosion in Thanh Ba district in Phu Tho province, the local government and the Ministry of  Defense Industry General Department defined 1,348 households in three communes near the warehouses that were damaged by the explosion.

In the afternoon of October 16, Vietnam News Agency quoted Vice President of Phu Tho Province, Mr. Ha Ke San, as saying that the explosion caused damage to 1,348 households in the three neighboring communes of Khai Xuan, Vo Lao and Dong Thanh in Thanh Ba District.

According to statistics, there are six houses that were completely collapsed or burnt, which need to be re-built, 877 households and offices were heavily damaged and 471 households were slightly damaged. The inventory task is still being carried out and it will be completed prior to October 19.

San also said that the General Department of Defense Industry and Factory Z121 will be based on losses of each household to compensate them.

Initially, the houses that lost the roofs and had cracked walls have been provided with canvas to temporarily cover the roof and some money to purchase essential household utensils.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Lam, Chairman of the General Department of Defense Industry confirmed: "The Ministry of Defense’s guidance is not letting people suffer and the people will be compensated at the highest level."

So far, the family of each dead victim has received over VND100 million ($5,000) and each injured person has received VND30 million ($1,500) from the Ministry of Defense, plus VND5 million each from Minister of Defense Phung Quang Thanh and several million dong from Phu Tho authorities.

At nearly 8 am on October 13, several explosions occurred at the Z4 enterprise of Z121 Factory of the Ministry of Defense in Thanh Ba District, Phu Tho Province. A few hours after the explosions, the entire Z4 enterprise of tens of thousands of square meters with many facilities were destroyed. Dozens of houses within 3 km radius were affected. The explosion killed 24 people and wounded 98 others, causing a total loss of more than VND50 billion ($2.5 million).

Le Ha