Man arrested after 7 workers die in cement crusher accident

Tran Manh Hung, 44, has been accused of violating labor safety regulations in an accident that killed seven people and injured three others at a Yen Bai province-based cement factory in northern Vietnam.

Tran Manh Hung, 44, has been accused of violating labor safety regulations in an accident that killed seven people and injured three others at a Yen Bai province-based cement factory in northern Vietnam.

Tran Manh Hung at a police station in Yen Bai province, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the police.

On Tuesday, Hung, an employee in charge of raw materials for Yen Bai Cement Company, was arrested by the provincial police for violating regulations on labor safety per the Penal Code. His specific violations have not been announced.

The investigative agency is clarifying Hung’s violations and signs of violations by related individuals and organizations in this “particularly serious accident”.

At 1:30 p.m on Monday, 10 employees of Yen Bai Cement Factory of Yen Bai Cement & Minerals Joint-Stock Company.were assigned to replace the paving slabs inside a cement crusher. Seven people climbed into the crusher, while three people stayed outside to tighten bolts.

During the repair process, the crusher suddenly rotated. Three people on the roof fell to the ground, while those inside were all killed.

One of the three survivors said he was injured in the leg but tried to run into the control room about 20 meters from the accident site to turn off the crusher. There was no one in the control room at that time.

The cause of the accident was initially determined to be a problem with the crusher’s electric motor.