Dozens of households in the centre of Dalat City have been called to move as their houses are sinking.


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Local authorities in Dalat City investigates the sinking houses on Nguyen Van Troi Street on April 27

The Lam Dong Province People's Committee have also asked hotels in the area to stop receiving guests to ensure safety.

A report from an urgent meeting held on Thursday by the committee with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, geology experts, Japan's Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co., Ltd., and related agencies, said that the on-going land subsidence on Nguyen Van Troi, Phan Dinh Phung and Truong Cong Dinh streets in Ward 2 is caused by weak foundations.

"The area also has a large underground water sources which is also one of the cause to the land subsidence," the report said.

Vice chairman of the committee, Pham S, added that heavy rains in Dalat over recent days of 110 mm may have contributed to the problem

Speaking at the meeting, representative from Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co., Ltd., Kanno Takami, said that they would install automatic observational equipment to monitor the problem.

The committee proposed some first measures to deal with the incident including closing all water discharge systems to the area, covering the cracks with concrete, and removing sinking or collapsing houses and buildings.

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Cracks caused by land subsidence on a lane in Dalat City on April 27


According to a report by the committee, the land subsidence was first seen on the evening of April 25. 

By April 27 afternoon, 14 houses have been sinking on Nguyen Van Troi and Truong Cong Dinh streets. A large crack also appeared on Nguyen Van Troi Street. 

Subsidence has occurred on a total area of 2,200 square metres, affecting 47 households.

A local woman, Truong Thi Thu Thuy, who lives at 94/12 Truong Cong Dinh said that new cracks continued to appear on the walls of her houses and some other neighbours on Thursday.

"We hope that local authorities soon help find a new place for us to move to," Thuy said.

dtinews