At about 6.59 am on October 19, a large rock suddenly rolled down a hill and struck the kitchen of a family in Mai Son Commune, Son La Province.
A large boulder fell from above and struck the family kitchen (Photo: provided by resident).
The family’s house was built in 1999. The kitchen, covering about 27 square metres, was severely damaged, with a hole torn through a wall and the corrugated metal roof broken and bent out of shape.
Kitchen appliances and household items, including a gas cooker, induction hob, refrigerator and cabinets, were also damaged by the impact, while soil and water entered the room.
No one was injured. The damage was estimated at more than VND 100 million (about USD 3,850). Local authorities are considering financial assistance to help the family repair the damage.
The boulder tore through the kitchen wall and the wall of the main house (Photo: provided by resident).
A representative of the Mai Son Commune People’s Committee told Dantri on the afternoon of October 19 that emergency teams had arrived to help move the boulder and assess the affected area for further rockfalls or landslides.
Authorities have also warned residents to stay away from areas at risk of falling rocks and to move people and belongings to safety if they notice signs of danger.
Authorities helped break up the boulder and move it elsewhere (Photo: provided by resident).
According to the Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Centre, the magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck at 6.59 am in the Ta Hoc area of Son La, at a depth of about 12km.
A separate magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded in the same area at 6.35 am. The magnitude 4.2 quake was assigned a natural disaster risk level of zero.
This was not the first time this year that residents of Son La had felt earthquake tremors.
On the evening of May 10, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck the Muong Hung area. Shaking was felt in homes in several locations, prompting frightened residents to run outside.
Experts said the earthquake in Son La was tectonic, linked to geological activity and movement along faults in the Earth’s crust.
