The debris weighed 5kg and flew hundreds of meters away.
On the afternoon of April 29, at the area where the No. 4 wind turbine blade of the Cao Nguyen 1 Wind Power Investment and Development Joint Stock Company broke (Ia Le commune, Chu Puh district, Gia Lai province), dozens of people gathered to check whether trees and crops were damaged.
A piece of metal weighing about 5kg from a broken wind turbine fell on a local resident's land about 250m from the wind turbine tower. Photo: Ta Vinh Yen.
Here, Cao Nguyen 1 Wind Power Investment and Development Joint Stock Company arranged 2 security guards on duty. The company used a barrier to prevent people from entering the area around wind power tower No. 4. The security force blocked the road, making it impossible for many people with gardens inside the wind power tower to access their gardens.
According to the reporter's investigation, the location of the damaged wind turbine covers the land plot of Ms. Ro Mah HThom (residing in Kenh Xan village, Ia Le commune). This land plot has an area of 1.4 hectares, with cassava, cashew, and corn planted below.
According to local residents, the explosion broke the wind turbine blades when a thunderstorm occurred in the area in the late afternoon of the same day, so no one was injured. Mr. Hoang Cao Thang (resident of Ia Le) said, at around 7:00 p.m. on April 28, when the rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning, he did not dare to go home but stayed in a hut about 130 meters from wind turbine No. 4.
"At that time, there was a big storm with thunder. When I was in the farm house and looked outside, I heard a very loud explosion and then it stopped. This morning (April 29), I discovered that one of the three-bladed wind turbines had broken," said Mr. Thang.
According to Mr. Thang, when he informed the people around, everyone started to feel uneasy and scared. Many people started to gather to check if the fields were damaged.
Close-up of about 5kg of metal debris from the wind turbine explosion that flew about 250m away. Photo: Ta Vinh Yen.
Seeing the presence of Giao thong Newspaper reporters, Siu Tuyn (a resident of Kenh Xan village, Ia Le commune) led us to his family's garden. Tuyn said that this morning, he and many villagers went to check the garden and discovered many pieces of material from wind turbine blades scattered everywhere. Among them was a metal object about 40cm wide and sharp in shape lying on his land.
"This piece of metal was on the family's land about 250m from the wind turbine that exploded. This object weighed 5kg and flew far to the family's land, so everyone was worried," said Mr. Tuyn.
According to Mr. Tuyn, people who saw the fan blades explode also went to check and discovered sharp-edged pieces flying everywhere. About 300-400m away from the wind turbine. These pieces were made of plastic, and when broken, had very sharp edges and were scattered all over people's fields.
"My family is very worried. Luckily, no one was there when the fan blade exploded. If the 5kg object and small pieces had fallen on the people below, it would have caused serious consequences," said Mr. Tuyn.
"They told us to feel secure working under the wind turbine. This electric fan is very safe and has been scientifically proven. But if the blades explode and break, causing pieces to fly everywhere, how can it be safe? Even if a piece weighing 5kg flies to the ground, people a few hundred meters away, how can we feel secure?", said Ms. Ro Mah HThom.
The wind turbine exploded, causing the blades to break on the land of Ms. Ro Mah HThom's family. Photo: Ta Vinh Yen.
The company said there was a problem during maintenance.
Immediately after the incident of the wind turbine blade explosion at wind turbine tower No. 4, Mr. Nguyen Tri Tra, General Director of Cao Nguyen 1 Wind Power Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, sent a report to the Department of Industry and Trade of Gia Lai province and relevant agencies about the incident.
The report stated: At 1:30 p.m. on April 28, turbine tower No. 4 was stopped so that the equipment supplier could conduct periodic maintenance. While adjusting the wind direction of the fan blades, at 7:00 p.m., extreme weather conditions such as thunder, strong gusts of wind, and sudden changes in wind direction occurred, so the fan blade equipment, while not yet completed the adjustment, was swept away by strong winds, colliding with the tower body, causing the fan blades to sag.
According to the company's report, the incident occurred due to a strong collision between a fan blade and the turbine shaft, causing the fan blade to bend. "Because it was undergoing routine maintenance, security forces were deployed and the construction technical team carried out safety measures, so there was no loss of life or property," the report signed by Mr. Tra stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Le Thanh Trung, Vice Chairman of Ia Le Commune People's Committee, said that after receiving information about the incident, the commune directed the police and militia to urgently inspect and verify, and advised people to remain calm.
"The wind turbine blade is so high up that if it breaks, it will fly very far, which is very dangerous. The commune continues to warn people to limit and not go near the tower where the blade broke to ensure their safety," said Mr. Trung.
Speaking to Giao Thong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Huu Que, Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, said that he had received information from the incident. He is currently waiting for the Department of Industry and Trade to report on the incident.
It is known that the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee has requested the above wind power company to coordinate with local authorities to review, evaluate, and calculate to increase the support level for architectural works and assets on land of a number of households living within the safety corridor of the wind tower; support relocation to other places of residence on the basis of current legal regulations.
People collect debris from a broken wind turbine blade. Photo: Ta Vinh Yen.
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