Floods cause $50mn in damage to coal mines in northern Vietnamese province
Monday, August 03, 2015, 16:03 GMT+7
The Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited has suffered damage of about VND1.2 trillion (US$50.02 million) to its coal plants in Quang Ninh Province, one of the northern provinces that have been devastated by flooding caused by downpours in recent times. The damage is included in the total loss of VND2.2 trillion ($101 million) caused by heavy rains and subsequent floods in the province from July 27 to August 2, the National Steering Board for Disaster Prevention and Control reported on Sunday. Downpours in Quang Ninh, considered the worst in the past four decades, have caused flooding and landslides, along with toxic sludge spills from coal mines, local authorities said. Currently, concerned agencies in Quang Ninh are struggling to help communities hit by toxic mudslides after torrential rain hit coal-mining areas in the province, which is home to the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay tourist site. It will take four-five days after the rains stop for coal mines to recover 30-50 percent of their normal production capability, the corporation said. The halt of coal supply and transport from these coal mines due to the disaster has caused a serious lack of fuel for many thermal power plants across the country, and the corporation is trying to make up for such shortages. On July 31, the corporation supplied 18,000 metric tons of coal to Vung Ang Thermal Power Plant in the north-central province of Ha Tinh. The same day it also planned to provide coal for the Vinh Tan 2 and Duyen Hai thermal power plants in the south-central province of Binh Thuan and the southern province of Tra Vinh. The National Steering Board for Disaster Prevention and Control yesterday also reported that the disaster killed 22 people and injured 36 others during the seven-day period. Of the dead, 17 were in Quang Ninh, two in Lang Son, two in Lai Chau, and one in Son La. The injured people were recorded in Quang Ninh, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, and Ha Giang, the board said.
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