Ha Tinh police have determined there are signs of criminal activity in the scaffolding collapse at Formosa Ha Tinh and have decided to initiate a criminal investigation.

On the afternoon of March 31, Colonel Bui Dinh Quang, Deputy Director of the Ha Tinh Provincial Police, announced that the provincial police had decided to initiate a criminal investigation into alleged violations of labor safety regulations under Article 227 of the Penal Code.

"This is not just a simple accident, therefore the police will conduct a thorough investigation. During the investigation, if any individual is found to have committed a crime, that individual will be prosecuted according to the law," Colonel Quang said.

Some of the screws on the collapsed scaffolding have rusted. Photo: Duc Hung

Currently, the provincial police have banned several Samsung C&T employees working at the Formosa construction site from leaving the country while they are being questioned. After collecting and analyzing evidence and statements from victims and witnesses, the leaders of the inter-agency inspection team in Ha Tinh province have concluded that the incident shows signs of criminal activity.

Also this afternoon, the inter-agency inspection team in Ha Tinh basically determined the cause of the scaffolding collapse. According to a leader of the Ha Tinh Department of Construction, after counting at the scene, it was found that 2/3 of the hydraulic pistons on the right side were damaged, leading to the formwork system sliding and the scaffolding collapsing.

"To find out why this system malfunctioned, we need to report it to the Ministry of Construction, which will send units to conduct an inspection, or we could ask foreign experts," this person said.

Rescue forces involved in the scaffolding collapse. Photo: Duc Hung

At approximately 8 PM on March 25th, scaffolding for casting concrete for a submerged well at the Hung Nghiep Steel Company Limited construction site in Formosa collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 29 others.

On the morning of March 27, the head representative of Formosa in Ha Tinh, along with representatives from the contractors Samsung C&T and Samku (the company that installed the steel structure of the scaffolding), apologized to the victims and all the people of Vietnam.

This is the most serious workplace accident to occur in Ha Tinh in recent years.

According to VNE