The two communes of Minh Tri and Minh Phu, home to many homestays, experienced a flash flood early this month following torrential rains, burying dozens of cars parked along a local road.
Locals said that flash floods had never happened before in the area.
Investigations by local authorities showed that the illegal construction of the 600-metre road and many surrounding homestays in a forest was the cause of the flash flood.
The investors of five homestays were found to have destroyed parts of the forest on Dong Chum Hill for the construction of two-to-three-storey villas, swimming pools and other works.
Despite being requested to stop construction and remove their works by local authorities between April 2021 and July 2022, the investors made continual excuses for their slow response.
The illegal works will be removed by local authorities in August and September.