"Just run slowly, be careful now falling!" - Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (name changed) of group 2, Dong Tam town, Cho Moi district (Bac Kan) urgently called when he saw children running on the embankment. For many weeks now, Mr. Hung and the local people have been used to this scene, but every time he witnesses it, he cannot help but feel worried and uneasy.
"The Cau and Chu rivers have just been built, but there are still no guardrails. From the embankment to the river is about 2m high, below is not only the water flowing but also the large rock holes wrapped in a steel net. If they accidentally slipped and fell, whether falling into a rock or into a river, the consequences would be very serious" - Mr. Hung said.
Not only worried about the risk of unsafety, Mr. Hung also said that the current design of the embankment has many shortcomings, the path from the road surface to the embankment surface is steep and there is no fence, if children run fast and lose momentum, they can plunge straight down. Some sections on the embankment surface still have rusty iron bars rising, which are dangerous if they fall or collide.
"The sunny days are still better, but on rainy days, the embankment surface is slippery, just a little kg more so that it can slide straight down. We just hope to complete it soon or have a fence-up plan so that children can play here more safely and securely" - Mr. Hung added.
Sharing the same concern, Mr. Tran Van Thanh (Cho Moi) has witnessed many heartbreaking situations. Mr. Thanh said that in the afternoon, this area became a place for children to gather. Many times, people have to run out to remind them, but only for a moment and then they get back there.
"There was a day when a child joked around and almost fell. I stood near and panicked, if I kept like this, there would be accidents. Every day I see them dancing there, which I worry about. If the railing had to be fenced from the beginning, why let it be unfinished like this?" - Mr. Thanh wondered.
Many households said that they have reported the above situation and incident to the local authorities and hope to soon have a plan to install railings to ensure safety, but so far there has been no solution.
According to the reporter's investigation, the unsafe embankment section of the Chu River Bank and Cau River embankment project has a total investment of 63.3 billion VND, invested by the Bac Kan Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board.
The project started on September 15, 2024, with a total length of nearly 2,000m, aiming to prevent erosion and landslides on riverbanks, protect people's cultivated land and houses on both banks.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Ma Ngoc Dang - Chairman of Dong Tam town (Cho Moi) confirmed that the embankment area to prevent landslides on Cau and Chu rivers has been basically completed. However, the section passing through the area of group 2 has not been fenced off, posing a potential risk to the safety of people, especially children.
According to the town leader, the government has received feedback from the people and will soon have a plan to ensure the safety of local people, especially children.
While waiting for a solution, people in group 2, Dong Tam town are still worried every time they see children playing on the embankment.
