A North Korean worker in Laos died after falling while repairing an elevator at a hotel in central Vientiane, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
The accident took place last month at the casino of Dansavanh Hotel in Vientiane prefecture. The rescue workers found the man unconscious and transported him to the nearby hospital, sources informed RFA.
The man died shortly after arriving at the hospital. A hospital official who didn’t wish to be named informed, “He was unconscious but was still breathing. CPR was performed immediately, but he died.”
The source also confirmed the victim’s nationality as North Korean. It was reported that less than five workers were present at the scene of the accident when it took place. The news of the worker’s demise was confirmed by the hotel he worked at as well.
“The body was moved by the construction company to the facility of a Chinese organization but what became of the body after it was moved isn’t known,” added the unnamed hospital official.
Although the 2017 U.N. nuclear and missile sanctions prohibit North Korea from sending their workers to work abroad, the country regularly sends thousands of its workers to work in places like China and Russia to maintain its foreign currency reserves.
A majority of a worker’s salary is claimed by the government and they receive what is called a “loyalty payment” which is still considerably more than what they would make back home.
Laos also sees about 100-200 workers coming to the country designated as official representatives of North Korea. They tend to work in restaurants, construction, and information technology. Companies in Laos usually approach the North Korean embassy whenever they require workers from the country.
