Large explosion injures eight at southern Vietnam steel plant

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An explosion ripped through a steel plant in Vietnam's southern province of Binh Duong on Tuesday morning, injuring eight workers.

The explosion happened at around 5.40 a.m. at the Nam Kim Steel plant at an industrial park in Binh Duong Province, 60km (37 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City, state-run Vietnam News Agency reported.

The molten metal explosion occurred while workers were handling a smelting pot filled with zinc and aluminum.

The accident injured eight workers, four of whom suffered extensive burns to more than 70 percent of their bodies.

The victims were rushed to Binh Duong Hospital for treatment.

“Six people with severe burns have been transferred to Cho Ray Hospital,” a doctor later said.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Nam Kim Steel, based in Thuan An Commune, is a top steel producer with three plants in Vietnam.

The company controlled 15.2 percent of Vietnam’s galvanized sheet steel market and 5.14 percent of its galvanized steel pipe market last year, data from the Vietnam Steel Association showed.