Bid to save colleague in dye vat cost him his life

SINGAPORE - Two workers, including one who was trying to save his colleague, died nine days after falling in a vat of dye here, Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.

Mr Yang Zhonghua, 37, who came from Shandong, was trying to retrieve a basket when he tumbled into the 3m-deep tank filled with leather dye on Dec 26.

Mr Zhai Hailei, 26, a Henan native, jumped in to help his colleague, but ended up being trapped in the tank full of noxious fumes.

By the time the men were rescued, they were unconscious, Shin Min said.

After being in coma for nine days, both men died in hospital on Saturday.

Shin Min reported that the two men, who worked at Nam Heng Leather Dyeing in the Ubi area, got along well. Mr Zhai has two daughters aged one and five, said his widow, Ms Wang Yunxing.

The factory has been closed temporarily while the Ministry of Manpower investigates the incident, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

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