More than ten Sinohydro workers in Siavonga District have resigned from the Chinese company with immediate effect over what they termed as poor safety and conditions of service.

And those that have remained at the Chinese company have pleaded with government to ensure that safety measures are put in place to prevent loss of lives at the company that is alleged to have been the one that started the fire that swept through Kariba North Bank power station.

The workers who preferred anonymity told ZANIS that they decided to resign from Sinohydro because of the prevailing poor conditions of service at the company.

They said in separate interviews that they could no longer continue risking their lives over such poor working and safety conditions that prevail at the Chinese firm.

“We were crying to government to come and investigate the conditions of service which this Chinese company is subjecting us as workers to but regrettably our cry was not heard, now that some people have even lost their lives maybe government will do something ,” pointed out one worker.

“There is no way someone who is working underground in the tunnel can be paid K300, 000 when they in fact know very well risks that are involved in working in such an environment. These are some of the things we have been complaining about,” said another worker.

Efforts to get a comment Sinohydro a company that has been contracted by ZESCO to expand the power station by adding two generators to the existing four failed by press time.

Meanwhile, the majority of patients that were admitted to Siavonga District hospital with burns following the fire that swept through Kariba North Bank power station have been discharged from hospital.

District Director of Health Dr. Joseph Kabungo told ZANIS in Siavonga this morning that out of the total number of forty that were admitted in hospital last Friday, thirty eighty have since been discharged.

Dr. Kabungo disclosed that only two fire victims have remained hospitalized and are undergoing treatment due to the fact that they sustained severe deep burns.

He said the rest of the workers who include those from ZESCO and Sinohydro, a Chinese firm that is expanding the power station have since gone back home.

Dr. Kabungo described the condition of the remaining admitted patients as stable and out of danger saying the two victims were showing signs of improvement.

He however said that those that have been discharged from hospital have since been encouraged to visit the hospital on a daily basis in order to clean their wounds as well as reveal their general health.

And Dr. Kabungo also described as stable the condition of another fire victim man who was evacuated to University Teaching Hospital (U.T.H) on Sunday after he sustained body burns amounting to between forty to fifty percent.

Dr. Kabungo stated that he has been in constant touch with medical authorities at U.T.H who have assured him that the condition of the Sinohydro employee is stable and under control.