As subsidence continues to devour more houses along rivers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a comprehensive assessment has been suggested.

A recent river collapse sunk six homes along Co Lau Canal in Phu Huu Commune, An Phu District, An Giang Province at around 3:00 pm on Tuesday.

Of the six residences, two suffered at least 60 percent damage.

The incident occurred amid the turmoil of another serious subsidence that sunk some 14 houses in the nearby Cho Moi District in late April.

Residents in the affected area of Phu Huu Commune managed to move all valuable items out of their homes prior to the collapse with the help of local officers.

According to Nguyen Van Muc, a 68-year-old local, the neighborhood has never fallen victim to subsidence.

“I discovered a large crack on the ground in front of my house before reporting it to authorities and moving my furniture outside,” Muc explained, adding that his entire home fell into the water some 30 minutes later.

The affected area is now 80 meters long and about 10 meters wide, said Senior Lieutenant Tran Trung Hieu, chief of the police department in Phu Huu, attributing the incident to a drop in the water level of the canal during the dry season.

Residents stand near their damaged homes affected by a riverbank collapse in Phu Huu Commune on May 9, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In a related development, a working delegation of the Water Resource Directorate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development carried out an evaluation at several embankments along the coast in Bac Lieu Province.

Since January, several sections of these structures have been damaged by strong waves, posing a high risk of dam failure, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The Ganh Hao Embankment, located in the namesake town, has suffered the most serious damage, with subsidence covering an area of 940 square meters.

Local authorities have asked the central government to assist with VND340 million (US$14,916) in emergency assistance.

They have also requested the agriculture ministry to carry out a comprehensive evaluation on subsidence along rivers and coastlines in Bac Lieu and in the Mekong Delta in general.

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