Hydropower dam bursts in Vietnam after downpour, villages at risk

The breach occurred around 1:30 p.m. near the spillway, starting as a small crack before rapidly widening to around 5 meters wide and four meters deep.

Water surged into the plant's operations area and rushed toward low-lying areas, causing stream levels to rise quickly and threatening homes along the banks.

 

 

Hydropower dam bursts in Vietnam after downpour, villages at risk

Vỡ đập nhà máy thủy điện Bắc Khê 1

Officials in Tan Tien Commune, home to the dam, said prolonged downpours caused water to rush towards the dam, which eventually burst after receiving nearly 1,600 cubic meters of water per second by noon.

Authorities said no human casualties have been reported, though some machinery and equipment were damaged. Emergency response teams from multiple ministries have been dispatched to inspect the site and coordinate containment measures.

Environment deputy minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep said Lang Son authorities reported that they had evacuated people living close to the dam from Tuesday morning after noticing abnormal signs.

Downstream residents flee floods

Heavy rains have inundated many communes downstream of the Bac Khe 1 hydropower plant.

Be Thi Huong, a resident of That Khe Commune, said that in the morning the water rose slowly with no signs of flooding. But after the dam broke, it surged rapidly.

"By 3:30 p.m., the water had already swallowed the entire first floor and showed no signs of stopping. My family had to rush upstairs to take shelter," Huong recalled.

Thanh Hang, who also lives in That Khe, said residents had already started fleeing at 5 a.m. due to heavy rains brought by Typhoon Matmo. At that time, the water was only brushing against her doorway. "After the dam broke, the water rose fast, and by 4 p.m. it had already reached two meters," she said.

In Trang Dinh Commune, many roads were submerged, forcing residents to build makeshift rafts from bamboo and plastic pipes to move around.

In Quoc Viet Commune, located more than 20 kilometers from the hydropower plant, authorities have ordered residents to move their belongings and livestock to higher ground, reinforce their houses, and stock up on dry food, clean water, medicine, flashlights, life jackets, and backup chargers in case of flooding and isolation. Locals were also warned not to travel through deep water.

Bac Khe 1, located on the Bac Khe River, a tributary of the Ky Cung, has a capacity of about 2.4 MW. Its dam is designed to hold 4.7 million cu.m of water.

Lang Son has been battered by heavy rainfall from Typhoon Matmo's circulation in recent days. Mau Son Station recorded 205 mm of rain between Oct. 5 and 6, while Quyet Thang logged 195 mm in just 12 hours from the night of Oct. 6. The massive inflow of water pushed reservoir levels dangerously high, adding pressure on the dam before its collapse.