Several large new cracks have appeared along a section of National Highway 14 in Dak Nong Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, while cracks found on the section in August last year have yet to be repaired.

The provincial Department of Transport has requested the administration in Dak R’lap District and Duc Long Dak Nong BOT and BT JSC – the manager of the National Highway 14 section through Dak Rlap District – to handle repairs.

On September 8, cracks measuring dozens of meters long began cropping up on a plot of land owned by Ngo Van Vinh, a resident living along National Highway 14 in Quang Tin Commune, Dak R’lap District.

As of September 11, the cracks averaged 0.5-0.6-meters wide and approximately one meter deep.

Other locations, including a local gas station, also reported similar cracks which persisted across the area through September 16.

The administration in Quang Tin Commune reported that the commune recorded three serious subsidence sites along National Highway 14 between September 8 and 16, affecting 10 households and six non-residential land lots.

The commune has called on local residents to evacuate and relocate assets to safety. Warning signs have also been placed in affected areas.

Ha Sy Son, deputy director of the Dak Nong Department of Transport, reported that fissures have appeared on the National Highway 14 section in Quang Tin Commune due to prolonged heavy rains, posing significant safety risks for commuters who rely on this highway.

The department attributed the cracks to the site leveling which used massive amounts of soil and put serious pressure on the talus of the road without a focus on technical solutions to ensure safety.

In 2021, the department’s inspectors tasked the administration in Quang Tin Commune with fining those involved in the leveling and requiring them to restore the sites.

This requirement, however, has yet to be fulfilled.

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