Authorities in Hanoi are pulling down a water park, the largest in the Vietnamese capital, just six months after it was opened to the public, following two deadly incidents at the venue and the discovery that the park had been built without a permit.

A team of police, urban management, and construction management officers in Ha Dong District began demolishing the Thanh Ha Water Park on Wednesday.

In late December 2019, the local People’s Committee issued a mandate requiring Cienco5 Company, the water park’s developer, to dismantle the venue after discovering it had been constructed illegally.

Cienco5 is a subsidiary of Vietnamese realty giant Muong Thanh, which owns a 95 percent stake in the company.

Since opening in June 2019, two young children have drowned while playing in a pool at the three-hectare park.

As the developer ignored the People’s Committee order to dismantle the park, authorities began demolishing the development themselves on Wednesday, said Duong Ngoc Thoa, vice-chairman of Phu Luong Ward in Ha Dong District.

Meanwhile, Tong Van Nga, vice-president of the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Association, claims that agencies charged with the management of urban construction in Ha Dong share responsibility for having allowed the park to be built and put into operation.

The illegal construction should have been stopped the moment ground was broken, Nga asserted, adding that demolishing the park after its construction is an enormous waste of time and resources.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!