Seven defendants were given suspended sentences after being held responsible for a wall collapse that killed seven construction workers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta in 2019.

The People’s Court in Vinh Long Province on Thursday began the trial against Le Phuoc Thien, Truong Van Tuan, Nguyen Tran Bao Quoc, Dang Su Quan, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Tran Quan Tru, and Duong Thanh Phong.

Thien, Tuan, and Quoc, who were officials from the management board of industrial parks in Vinh Long Province, were sentenced to 1.5 to two years in prison for lack of responsibility that led to serious consequences.

They were, however, given suspended sentences with probation periods lasting for three to five years.

Quan, Tung, and Phong were directors and deputy directors of local construction companies, while Tru worked as an engineer.

The four were sentenced to between 1.5 and 2.5 years behind bars for violating construction regulations and causing serious consequences, but also received suspended sentences with probation periods lasting for three to five years.

All of the seven defendants were held responsible for the wall collapse that killed seven workers and injured another at the construction site of Bo Hsing Company’s factory at Hoa Phu Industrial Park in Vinh Long on March 15, 2019.

Following the accident, the State Authority for Construction Quality Inspection examined the scene and pointed out that the wall was designed with an unreasonable structure.

Its height and size did not fit the rest of the building, which ultimately affected its bearing capacity.

Multiple other errors were also found at the construction site, which were attributed to the fatal accident.

Investigators also discovered that the several officials from the management board of industrial parks in Vinh Long Province had granted a construction permit to the project without carrying necessary procedures.

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