There are two possible causes of earthquakes in Xiangyang.

(Baonghean.vn) - As reported by Baonghean.vn, at 3:40 PM on June 12th, residents of several communes in Tuong Duong district were startled by a loud explosion, followed by ground shaking, causing many people to panic and run out of their homes.

Although no official agency has yet measured the intensity of the earthquake that occurred in Tuong Duong district, according to residents' reports, aftershocks occurred simultaneously in many other areas, including communes such as Tam Quang, Yen Hoa, Nga My, Yen Tinh, and Hoa Binh town… Present at Mo Than village, Tam Quang commune (considered the epicenter of the earthquake) immediately after the aftershocks, a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper observed many people rushing into the streets out of fear. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ngoc, from Mo Than village, said: “Since the war, this is the first time I’ve seen the earth shake like this.”

Yen Hoa commune was also affected by the ground shaking following the loud explosion. Mr. Lo Thai Sinh, Chairman of Yen Hoa commune, said that aftershocks were recorded in several villages such as Xieng Lip and Coc… “After the earthquake, we promptly contacted the villages in the commune to assess the situation. Fortunately, Yen Hoa commune was not affected,” Mr. Lo Thai Sinh added.

The people of Mỏ Than village (Tam Quang - Tương Dương) are abuzz about the shocking events of the afternoon of June 12th.

To learn more about this issue, we contacted Dr. Dau Khac Tai, Head of the Geography Department at Vinh University. He stated that the western region of Nghe An province, including Tuong Duong district, is located in a geological fault zone, therefore there is a possibility of earthquakes occurring there, albeit of low intensity. Dr. Dau Khac Tai also suggested that there are two possible causes of earthquakes: internal and external forces.

Internal forces are due to natural geological movements. External forces are due to human impact in the construction of reservoirs, dams, and hydroelectric power plants. “Although it cannot be definitively stated that hydroelectric power plants in Tuong Duong district are the cause of earthquakes, this possibility cannot be ruled out. However, regardless of the reason, if an earthquake does occur here, it will likely be mild and not cause for concern,” said Dr. Dau Khac Tai.

Khe Bo hydroelectric power plant in Tuong Duong district (Image for illustrative purposes only).

Ho Phuong