After the earthquake, many houses and schools were damaged
From 0:41 to 11:49 on October 6, in Mang Ri and Mang But communes (Quang Ngai province), there were 15 earthquakes, of which the largest match with a scale of 4.9 richter caused strong shaking. People living more than 100km away like in Pleiku ward, An Khe ward still clearly felt the shaking of the ground, houses and household items making a loud noise.
Initial preliminary statistics show that at Mang But Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities at Level I and II, the earthquake affected many items. The tiled roof of the second floor of the school building was damaged; 4 rooms of 60 boarding students had cracked walls, with wall structure and columns torn. 5 teachers' rooms also have skewed roofs and broken structures. At Dak Chun school, the two walls and pillars were cracked and broken; while at Dak Lanh school, two classrooms had broken walls.
The Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Civil Defense of Quang Ngai province requires communes, wards and towns to compile statistics on the demand for rescue equipment to make a list of supplies.
In the eye of earthquakes - the "capital" of large hydropower plants
More importantly, the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment need to establish an inspection team to supervise investors of large hydropower projects in mountainous areas on the structure and quality of dams and dams, and closely monitor cracks or incidents. Currently, the mountainous areas of Mang But, Mang Ri, Kon Plong communes have many large-scale hydropower plants such as Upper Kon Tum Hydropower Plant, Dak Trinh Hydropower Plant and Dak Re Hydropower Plant.
Thuong Kon Tum Hydropower Plant (investment capital of VND9,500 billion) is the largest project in the Central Highlands with a capacity of 220MW including 2 generators, annual electricity output reaching 1,094 million kWh, storage capacity of 145 million cubic meters. As for Dak Trinh Hydropower Plant, the capacity is 125MW, invested by Dak Trinh Hydropower Joint Stock Company - Vietnam Oil and Gas Power Corporation (PV Power - Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, now National Energy Group).
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Director of Thuong Kon Tum Hydropower Plant (Vinh Son - Song Hinh Hydropower Joint Stock Company) - said that after the earthquake, the unit immediately deployed an inspection and review of all dams, dam bodies, and factories.
"The concrete blocks are still solid and sturdy, with no signs of landslides, cracks in the walls or damage to the structure of this project worth thousands of billions of VND" - Mr. Hai affirmed.
According to the factory representative, through the earthquakes, dozens of hydropower workers have had available scenarios to respond to natural disasters and landslides that threaten human life. Regarding the cause of the earthquake's stimulation, Mr. Hai said that experts and scientists have not yet reached a conclusion on whether the earthquake was due to simultaneous water accumulation by hydropower plants.
In the long term, there needs to be a closed and scientific research work on this issue, with the participation of researchers from developed countries. The Kon Tum Upper Hydropower Plant is still closely coordinating with the Institute of Geophysics - Center for Warning of Song Dynasty and Earthquakes to have early assessments and warnings about the impact of the earthquake.
Ms. Tran Thi Huong - representative of Dak Re Hydropower Plant (Tien Tan Hydropower Joint Stock Company) - shared: "Luckily, the area where the plant is located is quite far from the earthquake center so it is less affected. However, continuous earthquakes have made operatives of hydropower plants in mountainous areas worried. This year, across the country, natural disasters, landslides, and floods have caused damage in many places, so the company always promotes drill plans and build scenarios to respond to the worst possible situations.
According to Ms. Huong, to build a hydropower project worth thousands of billions of VND in the mountains and forests, the company has fully implemented documents, legal procedures and assessed environmental impacts according to regulations.
Mr. Do Thanh Tra - Chairman of the People's Committee of Mang But Commune, Quang Ngai Province - said: "Given the damage to schools and houses, the commune has sent an official dispatch to the province to consider supporting funds for solid rebuilding, ensuring safety during the rainy and flood season and the earthquake season for students and teachers in the area".
Every year, the commune government also sends officials to villages and hamlets to distribute leaflets, instructing people living around the hydropower area to improve their understanding of earthquakes. When an incident occurs, people seek a safe place to hide, such as under the bed or in an empty area, to avoid landslides, burial or house collapse that threatens their lives.
