Five workers were buried under the debris after a scaffolding collapsed at the hydropower construction site in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on early Tuesday, in which three bodies of the victims have been found, local authorities reported. 

The scaffolding collapsed at about 3:00 am on Tuesday during the construction of the spillway for the Dak Mi 1 hydropower plant project in the province’s Dak Glei District, the administration of the district said on Tuesday noon.

The accident caused four workers to fall down, and a mass of debris buried them along with another who was working on the ground.

Local authorities deployed rescuers and equipment to the scene to search for the five victims, and they found three of them by noon.

Rescue forces continued to look for the two others under the debris.

An overview of the Dak Mi 1 hydropower plant project in Dak Glei District, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam’s Central Highlands region. Photo: T.L. / Tuoi Tre

The five victims include Ha Van Son, 30 years old, Kha Van Khay, 26, Ngan Van Long, 32, Luong Van Hung, 20, and A Tuat, 24.

Except for Tuat as a local resident, the other four hailed from north-central Nghe An Province.

The project investor, Quang Duc Kon Tum Joint Stock Company, has notified the families of these victims.

The Dak Glei administration has prepared to give VND5 million (US$196) to each of the families of the five victims. 

Dak Glei police are coordinating with relevant forces to investigate the cause of the labor accident.

Located along the Dak Mi River, work started on the hydropower project in 2009 with a total investment of more than VND3.5 trillion (US$137.2 billion). 

The plant is expected to have a capacity of 84 MW upon completion.

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