Three workers have been suffocated by poisonous gas while working at an illegal gold mine in Thanh Hoa Province since June 5.
Head of the People's Committee Office of Ba Thuoc District, Nguyen The Anh, said that they haven't got the news until early this morning, June 7 and have immediately sent a team of 40 people since 3am to rescue the victims who were still stuck in a gold mine in Kit Village in Lung Cao Commune.
"The rescue activities were faced with lots of challenges as cave lies near the Pu Luong Nature Reserve which is very difficult to access," Anh said. "The rescue team had to walk eight kilometres through a forest and could not bring proper equipment. There is no electricity or mobile phone coverage in the area so communication was difficult."
The two workers, Kha Van Ngon, 25, and Kha Van Huyen, were stuck in the cave and suffered toxic gas asphyxiation in June 5. Pham Van Dung, 54, who attempted to rescue the two men also died from the gas.
The rescue team has so yet to reach the trapped workers. The local authorities in Thanh Hoa Province are mobilising hundreds of people to join in the rescue.
