Ministry of Industry and Trade informs about the Bac Khe 1 hydroelectric dam collapse

Due to the impact of storm No. 11 (Matmo), the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Dam broke in Lang Son province. Accordingly, at 1:30 p.m. on October 7, 2025, at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant, Tan Tien commune (Kim Dong commune, old Trang Dinh district), Lang Son province, an earth dam broke.

According to the representative of the Department of Industrial Safety and Environment ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Project has the following main parameters: reservoir capacity of 4.8 million m³; dam including earth dam, spillway is concrete dam with free spillway form. The length of the earth dam is 107 m, the free spillway is 260 m; the maximum dam height is 26.5 m; installed capacity of 2.4 MW.

Location of the incident. (Photo: VOV Northeast)

A representative of the Department of Industrial Safety and Environment (DOST) informed that at 1:30 p.m., at the Bac Khe Hydropower Plant, a section of the earth dam retaining wall with a length of about 4-5 m and a depth of about 3-4 m broke. Due to heavy rain on the night of October 6 in the basin, the water flow reached 1,572 m³/s, causing a section of concrete at the water intake to break, and the central control room and equipment in the room to collapse. Preliminary damage, the plant was flooded. Currently, there are no human casualties, one meter is broken, other equipment is not damaged.

Regarding further information on the handling direction, a representative of the Department of Environment Safety said that the factory has notified the authorities of Tan Tien commune, Trang Dinh commune, That Khe commune, Lang Son province so that the authorities can notify people to move their assets and move to higher places to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

In addition, the factory contacted the power company to cut off the power to ensure safety. On the same day, the Minister of Industry and Trade established a working group to go to the scene to grasp the situation, provide information and give timely instructions.

According to the representative of the Department of Environment Safety, the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant affected 3 villages: Bac Khe, Na Soong and Hop Luc. The total number of households in the 3 villages is 196 with 779 people. Of which, the households affected by the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant dam break are 23 with 101 people. Currently, people have been evacuated to a safe place.

Telegram of the Ministry of Industry and Trade after the incident at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant
At about 1:30 p.m. on October 7, Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant, Tan Tien Commune, Lang Son Province, with a capacity of 2.4 MW, Bac Khe River, basin area of 325 km², water flow of 1,572 m³, experienced a break in a dam wall about 4-5 m long and 3-4 m deep.

To proactively respond to heavy rain and floods, the Minister of Industry and Trade requested the Chairmen of the People's Committees of Dien Bien, Son La, Lang Son, Cao Bang , Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai provinces and owners, management and operation units of dams and hydropower reservoirs to concentrate maximum resources to immediately implement the following tasks:

Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Bien, Son La, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai provinces:
Closely monitor the developments of rain and floods; promptly inform authorities at all levels and people to proactively prevent and avoid; proactively develop plans to ensure residential safety to be ready to deploy when the worst situations occur, not to be passive or surprised.

Focus on directing owners, management units and operators of hydropower projects in the province to organize operations and implement plans to ensure the safety of dams and hydropower reservoirs, especially in unusual and emergency situations in accordance with the single reservoir operation procedures and inter-reservoir operation procedures approved by competent authorities; arrange a standing force to operate and regulate and be ready to handle situations that may arise.

Direct local radio and television stations to increase information on rain and flood developments, reservoir discharges to people and authorities at all levels for proactive prevention; professional agencies coordinate with local television stations and media agencies, especially at the grassroots level, to propagate, disseminate, and guide people to proactively respond to minimize damage.

Direct the Department of Industry and Trade to immediately establish inspection teams to monitor the operation of hydropower reservoirs in the province, especially small hydropower reservoirs (Nam Cat, Ta Lang, Khuoi Thuoc, Na Loa, Na Tau, Tien Thanh, Thoong Cot 2, Pac Cap, Thuong An) to promptly direct the work of ensuring the safety of dams, reservoirs and downstream areas.

Direct the Department of Industry and Trade of Lang Son province to urgently inspect the dam break incident at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant; direct Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant and local functional units to immediately deploy emergency response plans, ensuring absolute safety for people downstream.

For owners, managers and operators of hydropower projects:

Organize 24/7 command and disaster prevention and control on-duty, regularly update and promptly report to competent authorities on the operation status of the project, especially in unusual and emergency situations according to regulations.

Strictly comply with the single reservoir operation procedure and the inter-reservoir operation procedure approved by the competent authority.

Seriously carry out the assigned tasks in Official Dispatch No. 7713/CD-BCT dated October 7, 2025 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on focusing on responding to heavy rain, landslides, and flash floods caused by the circulation of storm No. 11.

Strengthen information and warning work for people downstream about rain, flood and flood discharge regime of hydroelectric projects under their management.

Prepare response plans for unusual and emergency situations according to the "four on-the-spot" principle to promptly deploy in any natural disaster situation.

Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment:

Immediately organize inspection teams to ensure safety of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs in Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces.

Strengthening direction and supervision of the safe operation of dams and reservoirs of hydropower projects in the Northern region, especially hydropower plants in the provinces of Cao Bang, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Son La, and Lai Chau.

The telegram requires units to closely monitor weather developments and natural disaster situations in the regions, strictly implement telegrams of the Prime Minister and telegrams of the Minister of Industry and Trade, and periodically report daily to the Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment (via the address VPTT_PCTT@moit.gov.vn) for synthesis and reporting to competent authorities.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/xa-hoi/bo-cong-thuong-thong-tin-ve-vu-vo-dap-thuy-dien-bac-khe-1-597213