Officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday began a survey of the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant area in Bac Tra My District in the central province of Quang Nam, to determine cause of explosions heard there recently.
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| Officials surveying the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant area on November 30 (Photo: SGGP) |
They are seeking to find conclusive evidence as to the cause of the explosions soon after tremors occurred in the vicinity of the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant area.
Since end of last year, the mountainous district of Bac Tra My continually experienced tremors caused by explosions. November alone experienced four strong tremors and on November 27, a very strong one caused furniture in houses to fall and walls in some houses to crack.
This worried local residents as the tremors and explosions seemed to emit from the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant reservoir, one of the biggest in Quang Nam Province.
Nguyen Van Thanh from Tra Tan Commune said that the most powerful tremor occurred in Nuoc Vin hot spring, seven kilometers from the main dam of the Song Tranh Hydropower Plant. Communes like Tra Giac and Tra Bui which are located 15-35 kilometers were also shook.
Local people said that landslides occurred at the same time as the explosions in the Song Tranh 2 reservoir area.
According to Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, the tremors were caused by earthquakes. However, more research needs to be done to determine the quake epicenter.
The team will survey fault lines running from Bac Tra My to Nam Tra My District and on determining the quake’s epicenter, a seismometer will be installed to measure the quake intensity.
