Lam Dong province is urgently relocating dozens of households due to the risk of landslides...

On the evening of November 7th, the People's Committee of Ta Nang commune, Lam Dong province, issued an emergency evacuation order for approximately 70 households in Chan Rang Hao and Tou Ned villages to ensure their safety, after the Cay An irrigation reservoir in the area was at risk of collapsing at the main dam abutment.

According to the People's Committee of Ta Nang commune, the relocation began at 8:30 PM on November 7th. With the coordination of officials, soldiers, and local authorities, approximately 70 households in the two villages were relocated to schools, religious facilities, and private homes in safe areas.

That evening, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Dong province, Ho Van Muoi, along with Colonel Dinh Hong Tieng, Commander of the Provincial Military Command, and several other officials from Lam Dong province, visited the scene to survey and assess the situation in order to develop solutions for response and remediation.

The Lam Dong Provincial Military Command deployed 4 command vehicles, 10 troop transport vehicles, along with 150 officers and soldiers, 50 permanent militia members, and rescue equipment to the scene to evacuate people from dangerous areas, organize repairs to landslide sites, and be ready to respond to any emergency situation.

Colonel Dinh Hong Tieng (right) with leaders of Ta Nang commune at the scene.

At the scene, Colonel Le Anh Vuong, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Lam Dong Provincial Military Command, and a member of the Provincial Civil Defense Steering Committee, was present at the Cay An irrigation reservoir to survey the situation and direct officers and soldiers to carry out their duties, along with local authorities at all levels, departments, and agencies.

According to the Ta Nang commune authorities, due to continuous heavy rain over the past few days, from around 2 PM on November 7th, the water level of Cay An reservoir approached the overflow level, posing a risk of dam failure or flooding downstream. Localized landslides and cracks have appeared on the left embankment of the main dam downstream, with groundwater seeping through the dam's base. Furthermore, water seepage and leakage are occurring in several other locations along the main dam, posing a very high risk of dam failure .

New information from the leaders of Ta Nang commune indicates that a landslide has occurred at the main dam near the spillway, measuring 5 meters in height and approximately 54 meters in length. According to assessments, if there is no rain in the coming days, the dam will remain safe; however, if it rains, the risk of dam failure is very high.

Cay An Lake in Ta Nang commune, put into operation in 2007, has a capacity of approximately 1.7 million ^m³ and is an irrigation project providing water for about 250 hectares of agricultural land in the area.