Wind farm worker dies after CO2 leak-induced coma

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) A 19-year-old worker died Monday night after having been in a coma following a carbon dioxide leak on Aug. 20 that occurred at an onshore construction site for an offshore wind farm in Changhua County.

The deceased, surnamed Chien (簡), was one of three individuals who suffered cardiac arrest at the Lungong North 8th Road site in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park during the incident.

Chien had no heartbeat when he was found but was resuscitated after being rushed to Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital in Wuqi District.

He remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit with a coma scale of three, the lowest possible score indicating no eye opening, verbal response, or motor response.

It is associated with an extremely high mortality rate, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

On Tuesday, the site's main contractor, Teco Electric & Machinery Co., issued a statement offering condolences to the family of the deceased and pledging to take full responsibility and provide assistance to both the family and other workers who were injured.

The two other individuals who were found without vital signs were identified as a 58-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉) and a 38-year-old man surnamed Lai (賴). Both remain in intensive care, also with a coma scale of three.

The other 14 workers who were injured have all been discharged from the hospital.

Teco attributed the incident to improper operations and the installation of high-pressure cylinders by on-site staff, leading to the gas leakage.

The company said last week it was still assessing the potential financial impact of the incident and it had yet to determine how much its insurance claim would be.

The same day as the incident, the Ministry of Labor announced it would fine Teco NT$300,000 (US$9,400) due to inadequate occupational health and safety measures.