On the afternoon of 19/7, Cao Van Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, led an inter-agency team to inspect the accident site at Dabaco Thanh Hoa Co., Ltd.'s pig farm in Thach Quang commune.

Describing this as a particularly serious accident, Mr. Cuong instructed police and relevant units to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the farm's operations. This includes examining planning, construction, and execution, as well as adherence to environmental regulations, wastewater treatment, and occupational safety standards.

The company must ensure the safety of its workers and the investigation team during incident recovery. Personnel accessing biogas pits and waste storage areas must be equipped with full protective gear and gas masks.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment is tasked with coordinating with the company to disinfect the breeding area, ensuring the safety of approximately 150,000 pigs. Market-ready pigs will be assessed for consumption. Following this, authorities will evaluate all safety conditions before considering restocking the farm.

The Vice Chairman also requested units to visit and provide support to the families of the 5 deceased victims and those injured.

The area where the accident occurred at Dabaco Company's farm. *Photo: Lam Son*

The accident occurred around 17:30 on 18/7 at a manure filtration tank, part of the farm's waste treatment system. Bui Van Ve, 37 years old, residing in Dien Quang commune, fell into the pit while repairing the electrical system and showed signs of asphyxiation.

Upon discovering the incident, Truong Van Lam, 35 years old, along with several other workers, successively descended to rescue him but were also overcome by gas. 7 people directly involved in the accident were rushed to Cam Thuy General Hospital for emergency treatment.

By the early morning of 19/7, three people had died: Mr. Ve, Mr. Lam, and Bui Van Tuyen, 39 years old. Nearly 10 hours later, Nguyen Van Thiet, 34 years old, residing in Thach Binh commune, Thanh Hoa, and Tran Dinh Cong, 28 years old, residing in Van Tin commune, Hanoi, also succumbed to their injuries.

According to the Thanh Hoa Department of Health, from 18:30 on 18/7 to 01:00 on 19/7, Cam Thuy General Hospital received 12 individuals related to the suspected gas poisoning in the biogas pit. This included 7 direct victims and 5 rescuers who had contact with the toxic gas.

Two individuals with respiratory failure, Tran Van Hoa and Pham Van Hoang, were transferred to the Toxicology Department at Bach Mai Hospital's Ninh Binh facility for treatment. The families of the 5 rescuers, after a period of monitoring at Cam Thuy General Hospital, also requested their transfer to the same facility for further health checks.

Dabaco Thanh Hoa Company's farm is nestled among the surrounding mountains. *Photo: Le Hoang*

On the afternoon of 19/7, investigators completed the scene examination and handed over the bodies of the 5 victims to their families for burial. The area outside the sealed-off zone was subsequently put back into operation by the company.

Dabaco Thanh Hoa Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Dabaco Vietnam Group, is the investor of the pig breeding and commercial pig farming project in Thach Quang commune. The project received investment approval in 2021, with a total capital of 773 billion VND. It spans over 50 ha and has an annual capacity of 5,600 sows and over 158,000 market pigs. The farm commenced operations in October 2022.

Since becoming operational, the farm has faced numerous complaints from residents regarding pollution. In October 2024, the Provincial People's Committee fined Dabaco Thanh Hoa Co., Ltd. over 216 million VND for violating environmental protection regulations.

Le Hoang