German-invested Rieker Viet Nam Ltd. Company in central Viet Nam’s Quang Nam province on January 28 witnessed a chaotic stampede as over a hundred workers fainted en mass following an electric short-circuit.
According to a worker at factory B in the Dien Ngoc Industrial Zone, while the staff were having lunch at the company’s canteen, an electric fan burst into flame at 12.15am.
Hundreds ran out of the canteen together but since the exit is too narrow, many trampled upon one another all the way down to the stairs.
Some others chose to jump over the handrail. In one instance, Ms Do Thi Xuan broke her leg.
The chaos became more chaotic when some pregnant workers were pushed and even trodden upon by the messy crowd.
Doctor Nguyen Van Dung from the Ngu Hanh Son Health Center said the workers manifested symptoms of a serious drop of calcium levels in the blood due to an unexpected trauma.
Sai Gon Giai Phong has contacted personnel department head, Mrs. Tham for an interview but was rejected.
The workers under treatment at the Ngu Hanh Son Health Center were also hesitant in answering questions from Sai Gon Giai Phong.
Previously, several workers who supplied information on a recent strike have been sacked, a worker secretly told the newspaper.
In November, 2005, around 1,000 workers at Rieker Viet Nam Ltd. Co. walked out, protesting against being excessively exploited.
However, the company’s deputy manager Nguyen Hoai An later announced the firm would fire all the workers taking part in the strike.
In other news, 28 workers who earlier fainted from overwork in the South Korean-invested Tasko-Vina Ltd. Company have decided to quit their jobs.
Takso-Vina Ltd.Co executives had required the 28 to show their clean bills of health before allowing them to resume work but they said it was impossible since the company had not settled their hospital fees.
