VietNamNet Bridge - According to Thanh Hoa authorities, up to 735 workers at the Taiwan-invested Hongfu Vietnam shoe factory in Hoang Long Industrial Park were hospitalized yesterday for poisoning, suspected of water contamination. So far most of the workers have been discharged from hospitals.

Mr. Do Quang Vinh, deputy director of the Thanh Hoa Department of Health, says only pregnant women or people with chronic diseases are still kept at hospital for monitoring.

Vinh says the health sector has taken water and vomitus samples for testing to find the cause of poisoning. "Through rapid tests, we have not detected heavy metals or toxins in the drinking water at the factory," he says.

The health department of Thanh Hoa is using microbiological methods to find the cause.

According to the local health authorities, the drinking water supplied to workers of the Hongfu company was treated drilling-well water, which was also used by the factory’s foreign managers. However, there was no foreigner as the victim of poisoning in the incident.

Thanh Hoa police are investigating the case. However, Mr. Do Trong Hung, a senior official from the local Party Committee, confirmed on Thursday that this was a “normal” poisoning case.

Hung added that as the incident occurred at the sensitive moment, at an enterprise with many Chinese staff so the people should be calm and vigilant to not make the situation more complicated. He asked the relevant agencies to explain the situation to workers and urge them to be assured at work.

Hongfu Vietnam Group is a Taiwan-invested joint venture firm that began operational in 2011. In Thanh Hoa province, this group employs about 30,000 workers. The Hongfu shoe company alone employs nearly 8,000 workers. In 2011, approximately 300 workers of this company were poisoned after lunch. 

Related news: Hundreds of workers poisoned in Thanh Hoa

Le Ha