On Kim Ma Street in Ba Dinh District, neighboring S9 Nhon-Hanoi Station, cracks appear on the walls of several houses, with some tilted and subsiding.
Around 50 families have been affected by the construction of underground stations along the metro line, which spans four kilometers from the S9 to S12 stations. Seven had to demolish their homes, while 43 relocated only to return later.
One of the most severely impacted houses is the one at No. 431 Kim Ma Street. The house's owner, 53-year-old Nguyen Thi Dinh, said cracks have already appeared since 2019. Doors never close properly and the house feels like it is sinking, she said.
The cracks are widest down the basement. The main beams that support the house have their steel rods exposed, revealing how the entire house is tilting to the side.
Dinh said authorities and project contractors have invited a third party to evaluate the state of her house, concluding it was extremely dangerous to stay on, and that her family had to move.
A device to measure cracks is installed on the first floor.
Dinh said her family of seven constantly lives in fear and anxiety.
"Even now, after three years, no safety measure has been proposed. At least install a metal frame of some sort to prevent the house from collapsing," she said.
About three kilometers away, house No. 15 at Alley 51 on Quoc Tu Giam Street also suffered large cracks to its walls. To prevent the house from collapsing, its owners have paid from their own pockets to install steel frames.
Owner Le Huu Da, 82, said he has requested authorities for help three times but the matter has never been completely resolved.
In 2021, when the cracks became too large, the construction contractor paid his family VND5 million ($213.68) a month so they could find a new place to live. But that only lasted six months and his family eventually had to move back.
The staircase is riddled with cracks.
Da said the project contractor has sent people to evaluate the house's state.
"At the time, my house was fine. But as the cracks began to show up, they only got more severe over time. They might have been caused by the land clearance and construction process," Da said.
Da added that at first the contractor said what happened to his home was due to impacts of the construction project, but that it later changed its tune, blaming the "construction of a cultural house."
Houses near the metro construction site have all had rods installed to determine how far they have sunken into the ground.
Construction of S9 Kim Ma Station has been delayed since July 2021 and only resumed on Saturday. Nearby residents are worried that as construction continues, houses in the neighborhood would be affected once again.
The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line spans 12.5 kilometers, with an 8.5-kilometer elevated section and a four-kilometer underground section. The project began construction in 2010 and was expected to be completed in 2015, but is only 75% done.
The project's cost has also ballooned to over VND34 trillion. It is funded by both domestic sources and ODAs from the French government, French Development Agency, Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank.
