Explosion in factory in Quang Nam causes wall collapse, workers are thrown away, unconscious

Those were life-and-death moments right at the center of the explosion at the SGI Vina factory, told by the people involved.

After a loud explosion, workers were pushed away, walls collapsed

On the afternoon of May 22, a day after the explosion, the terrible memories are still imprinted in the mind of Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Head of the Coating Machinery Department - which was identified as the explosion site at the SGI Vina Magnetic Magnetic Magnet factory (Bac Chu Lai Industrial Park, Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam), injuring 12 workers.

"That morning, the brothers started working as usual. When checking, we discovered that the oxygen concentration in the coating was unusually high, exceeding the allowable threshold, so it could not be operated automatically, said Mr. Hung.

To handle the situation, Mr. Hung instructed a worker to go to the back room to open a manual valve, pumping oxygen into the machine - an operation that helps reduce oxygen concentration and ensure safety before starting the machine. However, only about 30 seconds after the valve was turned on, the engine suddenly exploded.

"After the loud explosion, I was thrown away, the concrete wall collapsed. At that time, I was stunned, temporarily deaf and unconscious. When I woke up, everyone around me was lying around, I panicked and didn't hear anything because the shock was so big," Mr. Hung shocked and recalled.

Trying to save colleagues

Amidst the chaos, Mr. Hung tried to help the 4 female workers who were stunned off the scene, then returned to search for another colleague still stuck in the dangerous area.

"The power outage, the fire fighting water system automatically fell onto the floor. Smoke and dust, screams everywhere, everyone panicked. After that, the company's medical staff and outside came to rescue and take the victims to the emergency room," he said.

As of the afternoon of May 22, there was still 1 worker with severe burns of 6070% of his body area in critical condition and had been transferred to Da Nang for treatment, with bad preservatives, expected to be transferred to Hanoi for intensive treatment.

The remaining 3 workers suffered severe burns and are being treated at Quang Nam Central General Hospital and Da Nang Hospital; 8 others were slightly injured and have been discharged home.

Immediately after the incident, Quang Nam Provincial Police blocked off the blasting area to investigate the cause and worked with relevant parties.

According to some workers, in the past, the coating area was always well controlled for fire prevention and fighting. However, this explosion was very surprising, leaving behind serious consequences for people and property. The cause is still unknown.

In a report to the authorities, Mr. Bang Jeff Seung Tae - General Director of SGI Vina Company pledged to actively coordinate with the authorities to find out the cause of the explosion. At the same time, all treatment costs were paid for workers injured in the accident.

The Trade Union will also have long-term support policies to ensure the rights, safety and health of workers.

Functional units, Chu Lai Open Economic Zone Management Board, Trade Union, and relevant agencies are coordinating to monitor and support workers in distress, and at the same time requesting businesses to review processes and enhance labor safety during production.