Seven workers were killed and three others injured at a cement factory in Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam on Monday, when an electrical motor incident happened on a stone crushing line at the plant, local authorities reported.

The accident occured when a group of workers were doing repair and maintenance work on the crushing line at Yen Bai Cement Factory, operated by Yen Bai Cement and Minerals Joint Stock Company, located in the province’s Yen Binh District, at 1:30 pm on Monday. 

The incident killed seven workers on the spot and slightly wounded three others, who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. 

The malfunction of an electrical motor of the crushing line was blamed for the fatal accident, according to intial reports.

Upon receiving a report of the accident, local police promptly rushed to the factory to assess the scene and initiate an investigation into the cause of the tragic incident.

Yen Bai leaders arrived at the factory to gather information about the accident and instructed relevant agencies to manage the situation and provide assistance to the families of the victims.

On the same afternoon, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy visited Yen Bai General Hospital to offer gifts to the three injured victims.

Duy asked the hospital to center its resources on treating the vicitms to help them recover and get discharged as soon as possible.

The local Party chief also urged the company and relevant agencies to enhance labor discipline and intensify guidance and inspections to guarantee a safe working environment for employees.

The company has suspended the operation of the factory to serve the ongoing investigation.

In a dispatch issued on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended deep condolences to the families of the dead workers as well as kind regards to the injured victims.

He urged local police to clarify the cause of the accident, identify the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals, and strictly punish their violations, if any.

Initially, the families of the seven deceased victims will each receive VND228 million (US$9,000), comprising VND200 million ($7,860) from the company, VND18 million ($708) from the provincial administration, and the remainder from the district authorities, according to the Voice of Vietnam.

Each injured person will be given a total amount of VND56 million ($2,200).

A leader of the provincial police department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that police officers will initiate criminal proceedings for the deadly incident if they can find enough relevant grounds and evidence.  

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