Stop pumping water, expand search area for missing victims in 'death hole' - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television

After more than 3 days of searching for the victim without results, the authorities have temporarily stopped pumping water out of the "death hole" on National Highway 3B, through Kim Lu commune, Na Ri district, Bac Kan province .

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Nguyet, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Na Ri district (Bac Kan) said that pumping water is just one of the options deployed by the authorities to support the rescue. By early afternoon on May 28, this option had to be temporarily suspended when the sinkhole became complicated with a large amount of mud and soil sliding down, and the water level could not be lowered due to the strong underground flow.

"If we continue to pump water, there is a risk that the mud and large rock layer on the right side of the hole (in the direction from Bac Kan - Lang Son ) will collapse, hindering the search by authorities, possibly blocking the bottom of the hole, reducing the probability of the victim's body floating up on its own," Mrs. Nguyet informed.

Na Ri district authorities temporarily stopped pumping water from the hole.

In addition, excessive pumping of groundwater also leads to the risk of worsening subsidence in sinkholes and neighboring residential areas.

Despite stopping the water pumping, Na Ri district is still implementing other measures to search for the victims and the fallen motorbike. At the same time, the locality is studying other options, possibly scooping up soil and rocks from the bottom of the hole to assist in the search for the victims.

Authorities are working closely with geological experts and technical units to study the terrain, determine the direction of underground currents, and expand the search area in the direction of the water flow that could have swept away the victim.

At the same time, close monitoring of geological developments is also being carried out regularly to ensure absolute safety for rescue forces and local residents.

Water continued to rise after authorities stopped pumping.

At around 9pm on May 26, Nguyen Duy Ph. (36 years old, Kim Hy commune, Na Ri district) drove his motorbike at high speed and crashed into a fenced area, warning of danger due to a large sinkhole. After that, both he and his motorbike fell into the deep hole.

On the night of the incident, Na Ri district authorities quickly arrived and deployed rescue work.

Authorities have brought in many modern and manual devices such as specialized cameras, field pumps, mechanical tools... to assist in the search but still have not found the victim.

The “death hole” on Highway 3B is one of seven holes in Kim Lu commune that have appeared in the past two months. The hole is more than 10 meters in diameter and about 10 meters deep. Previously, authorities had dumped materials into the hole but they were all washed away.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/dung-hut-nuoc-mo-rong-pham-vi-tim-kiem-nan-nhan-mat-tich-o-ho-tu-than-5048569.html