A huge landslide on Sunday along the Huong River forced several households to flee from the landslide prone area in Huong Ho Commune of Huong Tra District in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
Hundreds of cubic meters of soil and several trees slipped into the Huong River in Huong Ho Commune of the district. The landslide slipped soil 30m downhill across a 25m wide span.

Three houses are still precariously located just 4m from the landslide spot and over 100 households in Long Ho Thuong Village are concerned that their properties could be swallowed by the furious currents of the river.

Ha Thanh, deputy chief of the village said that they have not had such a severe landslide in the area for decades. The landslide occurred after sudden torrential rainfall triggered flash flooding. Besides, illegal sand dredging has also made river banks porous over the last several years.

Authorities in Huong Tra District inspected the landslide area and decided to evacuate four households out of possible danger on Sunday afternoon.

The district plans to implement measures to fortify embankments and resettle nearly 100 households from Long Ho Thuong Village along the banks of Huong River.

Over the last few days, DT 616, the main road connecting the mountainous districts of Tien Phuoc, Bac Tra My, Nam Tra My with Tam Ky town in Quang Nam Province, has faced landslides in several areas resulting in many traffic jams.

The landslide together with flooding has isolated Nam Tra My District for the last four days.

According to the district People’s Committee, the DT 616 road suffered four landslides in a single day while facilities were required to clear road debris elsewhere in Bac Tra My District, where Song Truong Bridge had been inundated by floodwaters.

The DT 616 road section lies in the area of the Dak Mi 3 Hydropower Plant and the landslide buried the access road under one meter of mud and soil on Sunday. Local residents were seen carrying their motorcycles to wade across the slushy street.

SGGP