Song Bung 2 Hydropower Pipe Break: Quang Nam holds urgent press conference

At 9:00 a.m. this morning, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province held a press conference on the broken pipe of Song Bung 2 hydropower plant.in Nam Giang district, leaving 32 people missing.

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

According to the Power Generation Corporation 2, Vietnam Electricity Group, the project investor, the circulation of storm No. 4 led to heavy rain and prolonged flooding in the reservoir area of ​​the Song Bung 2 hydropower project, causing the lake water to rise rapidly, with the peak flood flow at noon yesterday being 560m3/s.

At the press conference, Mr. Huynh Khanh Toan said that the Song Bung 2 Hydropower Project in La ÊÊ Commune, Zuooih Commune, Nam Giang District, Quang Nam Province was approved by the investor's Acceptance Council to allow water storage from August 25, 2016 and complete the closing of the diversion tunnel valve on September 3.

At 4:25 p.m. on September 13, the contractor of the Irrigation Construction Corporation 4 was organizing the work of building a dike to enclose the downstream of the Diversion Tunnel and pumping water to prepare for the concrete construction of the Diversion Tunnel when a large flood broke the gate of valve No. 2 and the Diversion Tunnel, causing local flooding behind the dam.

The scene of devastation (Photo: Cao Thai)

At that time, 2 excavator operators of the irrigation contractor 4 were missing. In addition, some forest workers and passersby could not be contacted and were being investigated. Regarding assets, there were 2 7-seat cars, 2 excavators, 1 25-ton crane, 4-5 trucks submerged in water, and other construction equipment and materials.

Two diggers were swept away by the floodwaters and are missing. More than 30 people are still uncontactable after the dam broke.

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

Mr. Toan said the cause was due to the impact of storm No. 4 causing heavy rain and flood water pouring into the reservoir with a flow rate of 560 m3/second, causing pressure to break the gate No. 2 of the diversion tunnel under construction, causing severe flooding in 5 communes in the Nam Giang border area.

Floodwaters also flooded some roads and swept away some houses.

According to the report of the Provincial People's Committee, the cause was due to the impact of storm No. 4 and tropical depression from September 11, the flood water into the dam was very large at about 560m3/s and the flood water flowed strongly causing the gate of valve No. 2 of the Diversion Tunnel under construction to break.

Photo: Vu Trung

Faced with that situation, the authorities have directed and evacuated people and their property to safe places; warned of the risk of flooding. The People's Committee of Nam Giang district visited each household to obtain information and the situation of those who could not be contacted; reviewed and counted the damage to people and property and immediately deployed the search for missing people...

According to Vietnamnet.vn