A section of the Bắc Khê 1 hydropower dam in Lạng Sơn Province collapsed on Tuesday noon, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents living downstream to safety. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

LẠNG SƠN — A section of the Bắc Khê 1 hydropower dam in Lạng Sơn Province collapsed at noon on Tuesday, sending torrents of water into the operation centre and downstream areas, highlighting the urgent impact of Typhoon Matmo’s heavy rainfall.

The breach, about 10 metres wide, occurred in Kim Đồng Commune following days of persistent rain caused by the circulation of storm No11.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp said he was travelling to Lạng Sơn to direct the emergency response. Fortunately, no loss of life has been reported.

According to initial reports from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, local authorities had proactively evacuated residents from vulnerable areas before the dam broke.

The incident occurred at around 1.30pm in Kim Đồng Commune. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Đoàn Thanh Sơn is overseeing on-site operations.

Spport efforts are under way for residents in downstream areas.

Leaders of Tân Tiến Commune confirmed that all residents living downstream have been safely relocated.

Earlier that morning, inspection teams had detected cracks and signs of instability in the dam structure, prompting the evacuation of around 200–300 households from four hamlets downstream.

The Bắc Khê 1 facility is a small hydropower plant with a reservoir capacity of three to four million cubic metres. While the breach released large volumes of water, officials said the incident is unlikely to cause flash floods or landslides.

However, flooding may affect several nearby communes already inundated by persistent heavy rains.

Between 7pm on Sunday and 7pm on Monday, rainfall in Mẫu Sơn reached 205mm, while Quyết Thắng recorded 195mm between 7pm on Monday and 7am on Tuesday.

The continuous inflow of water into the reservoir raised levels sharply, placing pressure on the dam before it gave way. — VNS