The administration of Long An Province in southern Vietnam said on Sunday that it had declared a state of emergency for the Vam Co Tay River area amid severe land subsidence.

A riverbank section measuring around 32 meters long in Thuy Dong Commune of Thanh Hoa District had sunk, making a nearby road impassable as half of it was destroyed and cracks appeared on the route.

Some 100 local households were impacted by land subsidence and had to travel for a longer distance via another road.

The subsidence of the riverbank was attributed to a large tidal rage, weak ground, and excessive rainfall.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the 2023-24 dry season due to the El Niño weather phenomenon has caused some 8,150 homes in the province to experience a shortfall of fresh water.

Thanks to authorities’ swift response measures, droughts and saltwater intrusion did not wreak havoc on this southern locale.

However, many parts of the province were battered by severe riverbank failures.

On June 12, some 54 meters of a dike along the Vam Co Tay River running through Thu Thua District collapsed, resulting in traffic disruptions and affecting around 30 homes in the neighborhood.

Land subsidence continued to damage the Vam Co Tay River section in Thanh Hoa District’s Thuan Nghia Hoa Commune on June 20.

Aside from the Vam Co Tay River, land collapse had ravaged another riverbank section measuring 460 meters long in Thu Thua District on May 15, taking a toll on 360 homes and a religious site.

During the 2019-2020 dry season, around 3,550 homes experienced a shortage of fresh water, resulting in damage exceeding VND55 billion (US$2.2 million) across the province.

In the 2015-2016 dry season, the freshwater scarcity impacted approximately 15,500 homes, causing losses of over VND195 billion ($7.8 million).

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