PM urges urgent response to dam break incident in Quang Nam

The dam at the plant, which is under construction, broke on the afternoon of September 13 due to prolonged torrential rain. Two workers working at the site were swept away by the strong flow of water and are still missing. 

In his dispatch sent on September 14, the PM asked the provincial People’s Committee, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Electricity of Vietnam, and the National Committee for Search and Rescue to intensify coordination in the search for the missing while taking immediate measures to ensure safety for downstream areas. 

The PM also demanded them to pinpoint the cause of the incident and the responsibilities of individuals and units involved. 

Quang Nam authorities and relevant agencies should assess the damages caused by the incident and provide support to those affected while addressing any consequences of the incident to help local residents resume normal life. 

At noon of September 14, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Cuong arrived at the scene to direct the settlement of the incident. 

According to initial statistics, six downstream communes of La ee, La Dee, Cho Chun, Cha Val, Zuol and Dak Toi were flooded, with three local houses and machineries working at the construction site swept away. 

Eleven local residents who were planting trees or looking after cattle in downstream areas could not be contacted after the incident. 

However, authorised forces were able to contact most of them as of September 14 noon. 

As for the two missing workers, divers from Da Nang city have been hired to search for them. 

The construction of Song Bung 2 Hydroelectricity plant was started in late 2012. As the fourth largest hydroelectric plant in Quang Nam, it has a total capacity of 100 MW. It is expected to start power generation later this year.