In recent days, earthquakes have occurred at high frequency in the mountainous areas of Quang Ngai. In particular, there are 15 matches a day. Since 2011, when a series of hydropower plants in the Central region such as Song Tranh 2 and Kon Tum Thuong, stored water and generated electricity, there have been hundreds of large and small earthquakes.
The Center for Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Newspaper, Institute of Earth Sciences (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) affirmed that Kon Tum (old) is in a series of excited earthquakes and in a weak earthquake range, so the maximum shocks in the area did not exceed 5.5 degrees Richter. This is also the conclusion for more than 200 earthquakes that occurred in Quang Nam (old) after Song Tranh 2 hydroelectric reservoir accumulated water. The cause was determined to be a stimulating earthquake related to a hydropower reservoir.
The earthquake has not caused houses to collapse, walls to collapse, or solid structures to be destroyed, but there are cracks in walls, collapsed tiles, broken school and house windows.
In particular, the phenomenon of unusual mountain cracks and serious landslides increases every year, causing heavy damage to people and property, threatening the safety of people in the western part of Da Nang and neighboring provinces. From 2024 to now, the mountainous areas of Da Nang have had at least 4 emergency evacuations of villages when unusual mountain cracks appeared. In September 2025, Quang Ngai also forced people to evacuate urgently when an unusual crack appeared on the hillside, threatening landslides...
There has not been any official research confirming the phenomenon of unusual mountain cracks, landslides, and flash floods in Quang Ngai and Da Nang due to more than 500 other estimated earthquakes, which have increased people's suspicions. In addition to climate change, extreme rain, deforestation, mineral exploitation and unreasonable infrastructure construction are also the causes of landslides, but earthquakes shaking within a radius of 200 - 300km are also suspected to be the "criminal" causing unusual mountain cracks. When there is extreme heavy rain and the land is "full" of water, landslides will occur.
Therefore, it is necessary to have thorough research on this relationship. To not only decode the phenomenon of unusual mountain cracks and landslides but also find appropriate preventive solutions. Propose solutions such as applying technology to predict early rainfall, flash floods, landslides, reasonable land use planning, protecting upstream forests, improving warning and rapid response systems, instructing people to avoid, evacuate promptly and relocate and resettle reasonably.
Economic exploitation and development projects such as hydropower, mining, forest exploitation, etc. also need to be carefully studied and assessed for their responsibility for the phenomenon of mountain cracks and landslides. Especially when investors and businesses exploit and benefit from forests, water resources, minerals, etc., the authorities of mountainous localities must continuously evacuate people using the budget.
