Photo credit: The Korea Herald
A Vietnamese construction worker was found dead Tuesday at his workplace in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, in South Korea supposedly of heat-related illness.
According to the province's rescue authorities, a colleague discovered the victim seated and unresponsive at around 5:24 p.m. at an apartment construction site in the city. The Gumi Fire Station's first responders recorded his body temperature at 40.2 degrees Celsius.
According to his coworkers, the victim, who was in his 20s, had said he would stop by the bathroom just as they were about to clock out after his first day at work.
The temperature in Gumi peaked at 37.2 C on the day. A heat wave warning had been in effect since June 29; the Korea Meteorological Administration had issued the season's first heat wave warning on June 20.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine the exact cause of death. Police suspended work at the construction site and plan to interview the victim’s acquaintances in Korea to investigate whether the worker had any underlying medical conditions.
Officials will also investigate to see if his employers have violated any law in providing safety measures for their workers.
