Hanoi - At least 18 workers were killed when a rockslide occurred at a quarry in central Vietnam, a policeman said Sunday. The workers were buried when thousands of cubic metres of rock suddenly slid off a mountainside at a quarry in Nghe An province, 290 kilometres south of Hanoi, according to Nguyen Van Hung, deputy head of district police.
Hung said the workers had been quarrying rock for the construction of the Ban Ve Hydroelectric Plant.
Local authorities called in military forces and heavy machinery to undertake a rescue effort, but as of Sunday morning, none of the bodies had been found.
"The rescue workers face a lot of difficulties, as the quarry is on a steep mountainside," Hung said. "More rocks could fall down at any time if the rescuers are not careful."
Hung said authorities were investigating the cause of the accident. He said witnesses reported the workers had detonated a huge explosive charge at the quarry the night before, causing the rock above to weaken and crack.
Mining accidents have killed at least 32 people in Vietnam so far this year.
