Six workers killed at Philippine shipyard
An incident involving the collapse of a ramp at the Subic shipyard in the Philippines, operated by Singapore business conglomerate Keppel, has left six workers dead and several others injured.
The incident occurred at a dock where a vessel was being repaired, according to Mok Kim Whang, president and general manager of Keppel Subic Shipyard. A stern ramp is reported to have fallen on scaffolding underneath the ramp, where workers were busy. As a result, five of the workers died while seven others were taken to hospital, some with serious injuries. One of the seven has since died, taking the death toll to six. Four of the dead were shipyard employees, while the other two were employed by a sub-contractor.
Keppel said that an investigation is underway, and that it is cooperating with Philippine authorities. A taskforce comprising senior management from the yard and headquarters from Singapore has been formed to look into further enhancing safety at the yard. Local reports suggested that the yard had a particularly poor safety record, though Keppel management denied this.
