The landslide on Hồ Chí Minh Trail, which passes Hướng Lập Commune, Hướng Hóa District, Quảng Trị central province. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — After heavy rain in Quảng Trị Province, a landslide has blocked the Hồ Chí Minh Trail and completely buried an electricity generating station with one man trapped inside.

By 11 am on Tuesday, local authorities could not reach the electricity generating station of the Kà Tinh Hydropower Plant. The plant, which is in Trà Lâm Commune, Trà Bồng District, was buried due to landslides.

A Vietnam News Agency correspondent reported that part of a mountain had collapsed onto the station.

Quảng Ngãi Province assigned four cranes and dozens of soldiers to fix the landslide.

However, they could not approach the buried electricity generating station because heavy rain and rocks blocked the road.

Đặng Vỹ Thuyên, director of the Trà Bồng Hydroelectric Joint Stock Company, which manages the Kà Tinh Hydropower Plant, said that the company believed one worker was missing.

Inspecting landslide recovery efforts and the search for the missing worker at the plant on Tuesday morning, the chairman of Quảng Ngãi Province People’s Committee Đặng Văn Minh, called on all efforts to be made to find him.

The Kà Tinh Hydropower Plant has a total capacity of 7MW and started its work in November 2020.

Quảng Trị Province is also focussing on fixing the landslide on the Hồ Chí Minh Trail, which passes Hướng Lập Commune, Hướng Hóa District.

The Hướng Lập Border Guards said the landslide happened on Monday night in Hướng Lập Commune, Hướng Hóa District and was caused by heavy rains over the past few days. 

It is estimated that hundreds of cubic metres of rock and soil from the hill eroded, completely blocking the Hồ Chí Minh Trail that passes Hướng Lập Commune.

The Quảng Trị Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said that the province experienced heavy rains from Saturday evening to Tuesday morning. In some places, the total rainfall was more than 200mm. 

Local authorities warned of flash floods in mountainous areas and landslides on slopes and riversides in Hướng Hóa, Đakrong, Cam Lộ and Vĩnh Linh districts.

Quảng Nam central province also had prolonged heavy rains since Sunday, as the Vu Gia, Thu Bồn, and Tam Kỳ rivers rise to level three (five is the highest). Many roads and residential quarters were seriously submerged.

Two people died after being swept away by the flood, and one was missing.

In Kon Tum Central Highlands Province, heavy rains continued on Tuesday with rainfall of 30-110mm.

The Kon Tum Hydro-Meteorological Station warned of flash floods on small rivers and streams, landslides on slopes and flooding in low areas, especially in Kon Plông, Kon Rẫy, Đăk Glei, Tu Mơ Rông districts.

The Tu Mơ Rông closed schools on Tuesday to ensure safety. — VNS