Police looking for person spreading rumors about Ban Ve hydroelectric dam collapse
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to rumors of a dam break, thousands of people in Tuong Duong district and downstream areas panicked, some even rushed to the mountains to take refuge.
On the afternoon of August 31, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Phuc Tu - Head of Tuong Duong District Police, said that the unit had isolated a number of people spreading rumors about the Ban Ve hydroelectric dam breaking on the same morning.
“Immediately after the rumor, we started investigating. Up to now, we have identified a number of suspects. The unit is currently investigating those who spread the rumor on social media and by word of mouth,” Colonel Tu shared with reporters from Nghe An Newspaper.
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| Rumors of a dam break caused people to panic and flee to the mountains for refuge. Photo: Dao Tho |
According to the Chief of Tuong Duong District Police, after identifying those spreading the rumors, the police will clarify the consequences and propose forms of handling. "If the consequences of spreading these rumors are considered serious, criminal proceedings may be taken. Otherwise, administrative sanctions will be imposed," said Lieutenant Colonel Tu.
Earlier, on the morning of August 31, many Facebook accounts simultaneously spread the news that the Ban Ve hydroelectric dam had broken. At the same time, a huge amount of water poured into the downstream area, causing panic among the people. Hundreds of people in Tuong Duong district even rushed to the mountains to take refuge. Many people only had time to carry their children, some even brought their belongings, food, etc.
However, Tuong Duong district officials immediately denied this information. Present on the Ban Ve hydropower dam on the morning of August 31, Mr. Kha Van Ot - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong district People's Committee, said that there were no signs of insecurity for this hydropower plant. However, the largest flood discharge in history (more than 4,200m3/s), also caused Ban Ve bridge (Yen Na commune) to break in half. This incident completely isolated Ban Ve. In addition, dozens of houses downstream of Ban Ve were also swept away by floodwaters....
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| Ban Ve Hydropower Plant is currently discharging at a record level due to the huge amount of water flowing from upstream. Photo: Phuong Tho |
According to Mr. Ta Huu Hung - Deputy Director of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, the design of Ban Ve Hydropower Dam is calculated to be able to withstand a water flow of up to 7,770m3/s along with other conditions are unsafe. With the current water flow, it only happens once every 50 years.
Ban Ve Hydropower Plant is a hydroelectric project built in the upper Nam Non (Lam River). The main dam and power plant are located in Ban Ve, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district. This hydropower plant has a designed capacity of 320 MW. The dam of the hydropower plant creates Ban Ve Lake, with a water surface area of 8,700 km2. This is the largest hydroelectric project in the North Central region. To build this hydroelectric plant, 4 communes were completely wiped out.
In another development, Thanh Hoa provincial authorities are also urgently searching for and handling a number of people who spread rumors about the Trung Son hydropower dam collapsing on the evening of August 30 on Facebook. This rumor quickly spread, causing panic among many people...