Investigation team on collapsed tunnel in Lam Dong set up

The team includes experts from the Ministry of Construction and the State Council for Acceptance of Construction Works, and representatives of relevant ministries and local agencies.

According to Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung, the team will review and assess investment management, implementation and the quality of facilities, while finding out reasons on the collapse and responsibilities of concerned units and individuals.

It also considers conditions to propose resuming the project, he said.

The work should be done and report the Government for final conclusion in early this April at the latest, the deputy minister added.

Work on the Da Dang-Da Chomo project in Lac Duong district kicked off in 2003. The VND475 billion (US$22.6 million) plant, invested by the Civil Engineering Construction Corp. No. 5 (CIENCO 5), is designed to have a capacity of 22 MW.

Part of the tunnel collapsed on the morning of December 16 after heavy rain in the area, making 12 workers, including one woman, trapped in the tunnel.

The collapsed site was about 500 metres from the opening of the 700m-long tunnel running though the mountain to bring water to the plant.

After a nearly 82-hour mission involving over 500 rescuers, all the workers were safely brought out of the collapsed tunnel at 4:30 pm on December 19.