Tunnel collapse at Nam Pong Hydropower Plant: The issues raised
As reported by Nghe An newspaper, on the afternoon of August 19th, while seven workers were constructing tunnel number 1 at the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant in Chau Hanh commune (Quy Chau district), a sudden explosion occurred, causing a landslide. The accident resulted in two deaths and five injuries. According to the initial findings of the investigation, the cause of the incident was that the previous construction crew had overlooked a blast hole, which exploded when the rock drillers continued their work.
(Baonghean)As reported by Nghe An newspaper, on the afternoon of August 19th, while seven workers were constructing tunnel number 1 at the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant in Chau Hanh commune (Quy Chau district), a sudden explosion occurred, causing a landslide. The accident resulted in two deaths and five injuries. According to the initial findings of the investigation, the cause of the incident was that the previous construction crew had overlooked a blast hole, which exploded when the rock drillers continued their work.
On the morning of August 22nd, upon arriving at the key Nam Pong Hydropower project, we found a pervasive silence; construction had come to a standstill. Not a soul was in sight in front of tunnel number 1, and a warning sign about the danger lay neglected in a bush by the entrance. About 20 meters into the tunnel, we observed water seeping through cracks in the tunnel's arch and flowing in streams beneath the ground in several places.
The No. 1 tunnel construction site of the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant is deserted.
In contact with representatives of the project's investor, we raised concerns about the cracks and long-term water seepage that could cause the soil and rock under the tunnel arch to crumble, questioning whether this would affect the quality of the construction and the safety of the construction workers. Mr. Nguyen Van Dam, Deputy Head of the Nam Pong Hydropower Project Management Board, stated that water seepage is a normal phenomenon during the construction of underground structures. According to Mr. Dam, this tunnel collapse (which he described as a "labor accident") will not affect the quality or progress of the Nam Pong Hydropower Project. "We have promised the provincial leaders that this project will be completed on schedule and with guaranteed quality," he added.
Responding to press inquiries about who should be held responsible for the recent tunnel collapse, the Chairman of the Quy Chau District People's Committee, Mr. Tran Van Chuong, stated that the district was merely the "base" of the project, and the investor and construction contractor must bear responsibility for the unfortunate incident. Mr. Nguyen Van Dam, however, argued that Za Hung Enterprise (the investor) was only the financial sponsor. The construction contractors, namely two units belonging to the Vietnam Underground Construction Joint Stock Company and a construction unit from Zhejiang Province (China), are the ones who should be held responsible.
The tunnel collapse at the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant has disrupted the lives of the people (all of whom are of the Thai ethnic group) in Ke Ninh and Dinh Tien villages (Chau Hanh commune), injuring three people. These two villages have over 200 households, considered among the poorest in the commune, and nearly 100 individuals are living with HIV/AIDS. Due to economic hardship, many villagers seek work at construction sites, including the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant. The income of around 6 million VND per month is attractive not only to mountainous laborers but also to young people from rural areas in the lowlands. Currently, about 80 workers are employed at the construction site of tunnel number 1 of the Nam Pong Hydropower Plant.
According to planning data, Nghe An province has 41 small and medium-sized hydropower projects that could be exploited and attract investment by 2015. Inspections in July revealed that 18 projects were not progressing on schedule, and the province recently decided to halt 8 projects. However, other hydropower projects such as the Hua Na Hydropower Plant (Que Phong district) and the Khe Bo Hydropower Plant (Tuong Duong district) are currently attracting many workers. In Quynh Loc commune (Quynh Luu district), where two victims died in the aforementioned tunnel collapse, the number of young people from the commune seeking work at hydropower plant construction sites continues to increase.
Following the mine collapse at the Nam Pong hydropower plant, several issues are being raised, including the increasing number of unskilled laborers and inadequate workplace safety at hydropower projects in the province; the need for attention from local leaders where these projects are located; and the responsibility of the investors and construction contractors.
Reporters & Contributors Team
