One injured after Mekong Delta erosion plunges homes into river

A crack near the river, stretching around 30 meters, caused the six homes in Thanh Phuoc Ward, Binh Minh Town to collapse, said Truong Van Phuc, a local official.

"It's a dangerous area. The province plans to build embankments here, with those who need to be relocated already compensated. But many wished to wait until after Tet before they move," he said.

Phuc said signs of erosion had appeared a few days prior, prompting local authorities to evacuate families in the area to safety, ensuring no casualties following the incident.

Coastal and riverine erosion has been a long-standing issue in several areas of Mekong Delta, Vietnam's agriculture and aquaculture hub, in recent years. Besides natural mechanisms related to water flow, experts have also blamed the construction of upstream Mekong River dams, groundwater overexploitation and sand mining.

Around 500 hectares of land in the delta is lost to erosion annually, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.