VietNamNet Bridge – Residents of Cao Duong Commune in Hoa Binh Province call the stone quarries scattered around their modest homes “death valley”. The name reflects reality. Residents say at least six miners died this year while working at the mines, where employers exploit both stone and workers.

Local residents carry explosives to blast rock. — Photo Lang Quan – Tam Ninh

The image of workers standing precariously at the top of quarries, drilling without protective equipment, is a familiar one. So are residents carrying bags of explosives to the top of the mountain.

Mine owners, for their part, often hire cheap labour and ignore safety regulations in order to extract as much stone as possible and maximise profits. They know their employees need to make a living and have no other work. Tiếp tục đọc “Miners risk lives, owners boost profit” →