September 2, 2025
TOKYO – A total of 126 laborers have died during development works in developing countries financed by yen loans as part of Japan’s official development assistance during the five-year period until fiscal 2023, according to sources familiar with the issue.
During this period, 258 accidents occurred and in most cases, the cause of the fatalities was carelessness, mainly because awareness of safety measures for laborers is low in the countries.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which implements ODA projects, is calling on Japanese companies and other entities in charge of the works to thoroughly take measures to ensure laborers’ safety.
According to the sources and JICA, many of the accidents occurred during development works in Asian countries, including India and Bangladesh.
The number of fatal accidents had been 30 to 40 annually on average, but in fiscal 2023 there were 86 accidents, in which 26 people died.
Most of the laborers who died had been employees of subcontractor companies under Japanese companies which directly received orders for works financed by yen loans.
In some of the accidents, for example, laborers fell from scaffoldings as they were not wearing safety hooks or they were crushed by materials while working in insufficient lighting when it was dark. A remarkable number of the accidents were caused by insufficient consideration of the laborers’ safety.
“Local companies recruit laborers from other neighboring countries. Working conditions are bad and oral communication cannot be done accurately,” said a former executive of a major business consulting firm in Tokyo which engages in ODA projects. “It is the reality that safety education is insufficient.”
A source in a Japanese general contractor company engaging in ODA projects said, “A sizable number of laborers work without wearing even helmets or do dangerous works while wearing sandals.”
A serious accident occurred during an ODA project in September 2007, in which a bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed and more than 50 people including laborers died. The order was received by a Japanese major general contractor company.
To prevent recurrence of similar cases, JICA has held meetings of a safety measures committee since April 2008 to confirm how the accidents occurred and consider measures to prevent recurrence.
In February 2021, JICA made documents about safety standards which demand companies to follow practical instructions, such as installing managers in charge of safety and sanitation measures.
JICA’s public relations division did not tell The Yomiuri Shimbun details such as the number of accidents in each country. Instead, the agency’s officials said that they have taken measures such as posting signboards of illustrations encouraging laborers to wear helmets. “We continue efforts to promote carefulness and prevent accidents,” an official said.
“Thoroughly implementing safety measures is important not only to contribute to improving safety standards in the recipient countries but also to raise Japan’s international trustworthiness about ODA projects,” said Prof. Jun Kitajima of the Graduate School of Social Design, an expert of political process studies who is familiar with ODA projects and compliance issues. “JICA should enhance watches by such means as snap inspections on whether safety measures are properly taken.”
The Japanese government provides long-term yen loans to developing countries at low interest rates to help the countries build or improve infrastructure.
There are 30 to 40 new projects financed by yen loans annually mainly in Asia. In recent years, about 400 total projects have been underway annually.