Thousands of cubic metres of rock collapse from a mountainside near a residential area in Ninh Binh Province.
Local authorities in Tam Chuc Ward confirmed on July 8 that they are preparing a report on the landslide in Doai Hamlet to submit to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, seeking guidance on handling the aftermath and proposing resettlement plans for affected households.
Pham Hoang Tung, chairman of Tam Chuc Ward, said that two families were urgently evacuated after the rockfall. Warning signs and restricted access zones have been set up at the site to ensure public safety.
“I was inside my house around midday on June 26 when we suddenly heard loud rumbling noises, like an earthquake,” said Le Van Thanh, a local resident. “Before we could figure out what was happening, there was a massive explosion-like sound, and then thousands of tonnes of rock came crashing down from the mountain. Large boulders were flung far away and dust covered the whole area.”
Nguyen Thi Thac, another resident, recalled that although her fence is over 100 metres away from the mountain, rocks still landed near it. “Since that day, my family has had to stay with relatives. I only return home briefly to feed our livestock, I no longer dare to sleep there,” she said.
According to Thac, the area where the landslide occurred used to be a quarry operated by a local mining company. “They may have excavated too deeply into the mountain’s base, weakening the structure,” she added. The company had been licensed to operate the quarry since 1995 but recently ceased operations and removed all machinery from the site.
Locals remain deeply concerned as hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of rock still loom precariously atop the mountain, posing an ongoing risk of further landslides.
“If no action is taken, these remaining rocks could fall at any moment,” said Thanh. “They could even reach National Highway 21A, posing a serious threat not only to local residents but also to passing vehicles.”
At the scene, reporters observed large piles of rock still scattered across the base of the mountain. Nearby households have evacuated their belongings to safer locations, while authorities have erected fences and warning signs to prevent access to the danger zone.
Residents have urged the local and provincial governments to take immediate action to stabilise the area and help affected families return to normal life.