Three killed in northern Vietnam landslide

The four unidentified workers were digging a hole to build the foundation for a vocational center when a 15-meter-high mound collapsed onto them at around 7:30 a.m.

"The workers were digging a hole about 1-2 m deep when the soil above them collapsed. No one escaped in time," a witness said.

Dozens of firefighters and rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene, where soldiers used two bulldozers to dig the workers out.

By 11 a.m., all four were rushed to hospital where three later died. The surviving worker remains in critical condition, according to Tran Van Khai from the Phu Tho People's Committee.

"The incident occurred due to heavy rain in the last few days, weakening the soil and causing it to collapse under impact," he explained.