Song Bung 2 hydroelectric pipeline bursts: Quang Nam holds emergency press conference.

At 9 am this morning, the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee held a press conference regarding the pipe rupture at the Song Bung 2 hydropower plant.In Nam Giang district, 32 people have lost contact.

Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee Huynh Khanh Toan presided over the press conference.

According to Power Generation Corporation 2, a subsidiary of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), the project's investor, the remnants of Typhoon No. 4 led to heavy rain and prolonged flooding in the reservoir area of ​​the Song Bung 2 hydropower project, causing the water level to rise rapidly. The peak flood flow at noon yesterday was 560 m3/s.

At the press conference, Mr. Huynh Khanh Toan stated that the Song Bung 2 hydropower project in La Ee commune and Zuooih commune, Nam Giang district, Quang Nam province, was unanimously approved by the investor's acceptance council to allow water impoundment from August 25, 2016, and to complete the closing of the diversion tunnel gates on September 3.

At 4:25 PM on September 13th, the contractor, Construction Corporation No. 4, was carrying out embankment work downstream of the construction diversion tunnel and pumping water to prepare for concrete pouring for the diversion tunnel when a major flood occurred, causing the rupture of gate valve No. 2 of the construction diversion tunnel, resulting in localized flooding downstream of the dam.

The scene is devastated (Photo: Cao Thai)

At that time, two excavator operators from the irrigation contractor No. 4 went missing. In addition, several forest workers and visitors were unaccounted for and verification was underway. Regarding property, two 7-seater cars, two excavators, one 25-ton crane, four to five trucks, and other construction equipment and materials were submerged in water.

Two excavator operators were swept away by floodwaters and are missing. In addition, more than 30 people are unaccounted for after the dam collapsed.

Five downstream communes in the border area of ​​Nam Giang district have been cut off by floodwaters.

Mr. Toan stated that the cause was the impact of typhoon No. 4, which brought heavy rain and a massive flood of 560 m3/second into the reservoir. This pressure caused the gate of the construction diversion tunnel No. 2 to break, resulting in severe flooding in five border communes of Nam Giang.

The rising water also flooded several roads and swept away some people's houses.

According to the report from the Provincial People's Committee, the cause was the impact of typhoon No. 4 and the tropical depression from September 11th, which resulted in a very large volume of floodwater flowing into the reservoir at approximately 560 m3/s. The strong floodwaters caused the rupture of gate valve No. 2 of the construction diversion tunnel.

Photo: Vu Trung

In response to the situation, authorities directed the relocation of people and their property to safe areas and warned of the risk of flooding. The People's Committee of Nam Giang district went to each household to gather information on those who had not yet been contacted; reviewed and compiled statistics on human and material damage and immediately deployed search efforts for missing persons...

According to Vietnamnet.vn