Landslide wreaks havoc in An Giang
AN GIANG — A landslide along the Hau River destroyed two houses and three construction material stores in Binh Duc Ward, southern An Giang Province's Long Xuyen City, on Sunday.
No death or injures were reported, but damage was estimated at billions of dong.
According to the Deputy Director of An Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Anh Thu, scores of households were moved to safety before the landslide occurred. However, hundreds are still threatened by an expanding landslide area.
An urgent departmental survey revealed holes, between 25 to 27m in depth, which have contributed to the landslides.
About 200 policemen, soldiers and citizens were assigned to help local residents move to safer areas. More than 22 households in the high-risk area have been relocated thus far, while more will be moved in the coming days.
The People's Committee of Long Xuyen City has provided VND100 million (US$ 4,800) towards relocation and each household with VND6 million ($286).
It has been reported that since floods hit the province last September, landslides have encroached and damaged tens of thousands of square meters of the rivers' banks, roads and cultivated land.
A survey made in 2011 showed that there were 56 sections of river in the province in danger of landslides. — VNS