Thai workers die from toxic gas in South Korean greenhouse
Two Thai workers were found dead in a greenhouse in South Korea after lighting a fire to stay warm and inhaling toxic gas. The tragic incident occurred in Pyeongchang, Gangwon province, and the victims were identified as a 60 year old man and a 50 year old woman.
Local reports revealed that on the morning of October 4, police received a call about the discovery of two deceased foreign workers in a greenhouse on a farm in Jimboonyon. The workers, who were in South Korea for the scallion harvest season, had been using a makeshift heater to combat the cold and suffocated from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result.
Upon inspecting the scene, police found an open gas canister and a picnic stove in the greenhouse. It is believed that the pair, who were working illegally, lit the stove to keep warm during the night, the police said.
“The investigation suggests that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning after finding the open gas canister and stove.”
The temperature in the mountainous regions of Gangwon, including Seorak, has recently dropped to 0 degrees Celsius, with the lowest temperature in Jinbu that morning being around 7 degrees Celsius. As South Korea transitions into winter, the cold weather likely prompted the workers to seek alternative means of warmth.
Despite the presence of communal accommodation nearby, the two workers opted to sleep separately in the greenhouse. Fellow workers at the farm confirmed that the deceased had usually stayed in the provided accommodation but decided to sleep in the greenhouse the night before the incident due to the cramped conditions in their lodging, reported KhaoSod.
“They mentioned that the workers’ accommodation was a bit cramped, so they chose to sleep in the greenhouse. No one expected such a tragic event to occur,” a witness explained.
The South Korean police plan to conduct further investigations into the illegal employment and immigration status of the deceased workers. An autopsy is also scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
