VietNamNet Bridge - This morning, September 17, two earthquakes occurred in the region of Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant, with the shallowest level so far. The quakes are considered dangerous, with high surface devastating power.

Experts doubt efficacy of Song Tranh 2 Hydropower dam
Four more tremors at Song Tranh hydro-power plant

At 0h37 on September 17, the ground in Bac Tra My district of Quang Nam province suddenly emitted explosion. Houses were shaken strongly that many people who were sleeping had to get up to run out of their houses.

Mr. Dang Phong, Chairman of Bac Tra My district, said at almost 5am this morning, another quake occurred after underground explosions. The two earthquakes lasted for more than 5 seconds, longer than the previous tremors.

According to statistics of the People's Committee of Bac Tra My district, the consecutive earthquakes over the past week have affected 17 houses, two schools and a number of offices in the area.

Two houses in Tra Doc commune were badly damaged, forcing the owners to leave their homes and live temporarily in the houses of their neighbors.

Today the district established a mission to check and assess the damage to homes, schools in the area to have a plan to support recovery and repair of these works in order to ensure the safety for people in the flood season this year.

The Institute of Geophysics has confirmed that its seismic stations recorded an earthquake at nearly 5am this morning, with 2.7 Richter scale. The epicenter was about 22 km from the Song Tranh 2 Dam in Bac Tra My district.

The second quake could be smaller than 2 Richter so the institute’s seismic stations could not record it. Most earthquakes occurred in the past week occurred on a fault zone in the northeast-southwest direction, near the Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant. The earthquake this morning was only 2.7 Richter scale but it was the shallowest quake so far.


A specialist from the Institute of Geophysics said that the less deep earthquakes are, the more dangerous and surface devastation there is.

According to statistics of the Institute of Geophysics, from August 17 to September 17, its earthquake monitoring stations in Binh Dinh and Hue and the accelerators installed at Song Tranh 2 hydroelectric dam recorded 17 tremors. The two biggest quakes occurred at 8.46pm on September 3 with magnitude of 4.2 Richter scale and at 9.27am on September 7 with 4 Richter scale.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sy, Chair of the Quang Nam Provincial People's Council, expressed his concern over the recent earthquakes in the region of Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant. He said that the government should consider carefully when allowing the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to store water in the Song Tranh 2 hydroelectric reservoirs.

Sy also said that the local authorities are implementing a training program for local people who live close to the plant to response to earthquakes. The local administration has also prepared evacuation plans in the worst cases.

"If it is found unsafe, Quang Nam province will ask the government to not allow EVN to store water in the Song Tranh 2 reservoir. The province will continue to bring this issue to the National Assembly session in October," Sy added.

The 2 Hydropower Project Management Board said there are nearly 600 electronic devices in the body of the dam, with a full range of functions such as: monitoring temperature, earthquake, thermal displacement slot, etc. to ensure safe operation of the dam.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai asked EVN to regular inspect and report on the operation of the dam. EVN was also asked to provide the data from the monitoring devices inside the dam body to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province and Bac Tra My district and relevant agencies.

The Deputy Prime Minister also asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to conduct surveys, research, assessment of earthquakes in Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam province, to report to the Prime.

Compiled by Na Son