An exhaust gas pipeline at a South Korean-owned company in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam suddenly exploded on Tuesday, likely due to increasing pressure inside it, wounding 34 workers, local authorities reported.

The accident occurred at 8:45 am that day on the third floor of the five-story building of Seojin Auto Co. Ltd. at Dai Dong - Hoan Son Industrial Park in the province’s Tu Son City, said the provincial Department of Information and Communications.

The blast shattered many glass doors, caused power to go out, and released black smoke in the scene, where about 50 workers were working.

The explosion affected a factory area of 150 square meters but caused no fire, local fire and rescue police reported.

The incident caused no fatality but made 34 workers injured and burned, who were first taken to the Tu Son Medical Center, about three kilometers from the accident site, and were then transferred to the Bac Ninh General Hospital.

Seven of the victims were later sent to the National Institute of Burns in Hanoi due to their more serious conditions.

According to doctors’ assessment, all the burned victims suffered from first- to second-degree burns that were not life-threatening.

Soon after the incident, chairwoman of the provincial administration Nguyen Huong Giang visited the victims at the said general hospital.

Lee Young Tae, director of Seojin Auto, said the blast had likely resulted from a sudden increase in pressure in the exhaust gas pipeline from the company’s production line.

“On behalf of the company, we sincerely apologize to all the affected people,” Lee said, stating that the firm has already provided initial support for the victims.

“We are categorizing them so that we can continue offering satisfactory support to each specific case."

The director also promised to double-check the whole pipeline system to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.

The Bac Ninh Labor Federation’s representatives have visited the wounded workers and given each of them a gift worth VND1 million (US$42), the agency told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday.

Local police have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

Seojin Auto Co. Ltd. is a supplier of electronics giant Samsung, specializing in assembling mobile phones, manufacturing computers and their peripheral equipment, and making motors, generators and power transformers, among other business lines.

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