Two bodies were found on May 21 morning following the rockslide. — VNA/VNS Photo

THANH HÓA — A rockslide incident at a quarry operated by Anh Tuấn Co Ltd in Cẩm Tú Commune, the central province of Thanh Hóa, has left three dead after they were buried, according to provincial police.

The victims were identified as H.V.N., born in 1988, L.V.Q., born in 1989, and L.V.T., born in 1986, all residents of the northern province of Lào Cai.

The accident occurred at around 5pm on Wednesday while the workers were operating at the foot of a mountain in the Cẩm Tú stone quarry run by Anh Tuấn Co Ltd, when a large volume of rocks and soil suddenly collapsed from above, burying them.

Hundreds of police officers, soldiers and excavators were deployed to search for the two victims buried in the rockslide. — VNA/VNS Photo

Immediately after receiving reports of the incident, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hóa People’s Committee Cao Văn Cường arrived at the scene and directed authorities to urgently carry out rescue operations, secure the site and implement safety measures in the quarry area.

Determining the incident to be a particularly serious workplace accident, Chairman of the Thanh Hóa People’s Committee Nguyễn Hoài Anh on Wednesday night ordered agencies and relevant units to urgently address the consequences of the accident.

Throughout Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday, hundreds of police officers, soldiers and firefighters used excavators, specialised vehicles, drones, sniffer dogs and thermal detection equipment in the search operation.

Phạm Minh Vũ, chairman of the People’s Committee of Cẩm Tú Commune said rescue forces recovered the bodies of all three victims on Thursday morning after hours of intensive search efforts.

The quarry site is still at risk of more landslides. VNA/VNS Photo

The body of H.V.N. was found at 6.20am, while the body of L.V.Q. was recovered at 8.23am on Thursday.

Late Wednesday night, rescuers found L.V.T. and rushed him to hospital for emergency treatment, but he later died from his injuries.

Authorities have completed the necessary legal procedures and handed the bodies over to the victims’ families for funeral arrangements.

Agencies have been instructed to intensify search and rescue efforts, ensure absolute safety for rescue personnel, investigate the cause of the accident and strictly handle any organisations or individuals found to have violated regulations.

Authorities were also ordered to promptly report initial investigation findings to provincial leaders so that corrective measures can be implemented in a timely manner.

Anh Tuấn, Co Ltd has been instructed to coordinate closely with rescue forces and fully meet its responsibilities toward the victims and their families.

The company has also been ordered to review all mining procedures and labour safety conditions at the quarry, promptly address shortcomings in mining operations and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. — VNS