Authorities in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, on Wednesday evacuated residents from the Dong Thanh irrigation reservoir project in Lam Ha District, where huge earth cracks led to land subsidence in the nearby area and posed a threat to residential safety.

The cracks, measuring five to 10 centimeters wide, appeared in an area of 2.5 hectares around the irrigation lake after torrential rain occurred there for several days.

While the authorities were working on repairing the cracks on Wednesday, additional fissures up to 30 centimeters in width emerged and extended further.

As a result, land subsidence has occurred, with the deepest point reaching 0.5 meters, causing cracks on house walls and sinking the entire concrete yard of a local household.

Meanwhile, a residential road has subsided by one to 1.5 meters.

Additionally, 500 meters of embankment designed for flood prevention are at risk of subsidence.

According to a leader of the Lam Ha District People’s Committee, the affected area spans 2.5 hectares, while an additional 2.8 hectares is at risk of sinking.

The Dong Thanh irrigation reservoir project has been invested in with more than VND494 billion (US$20.8 million). 

Its reservoir has a capacity of over three million cubic meters, with the soil dam stretching over 212 meters and standing at a height of more than 34 meters.

The Lam Ha District People’s Committee evaluated the land subsidence situation in the Dong Thanh reservoir area as intricate, uncertain, progressively severe, and significantly affecting the livelihoods of numerous households. 

As a result, the authorities decided to evacuate five households for their safety and evaluate the potential risk against four other households.

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