As of 1:30 pm on May 17th, with the participation of over 200 personnel from the police, military, border guard, and local authorities, all the bodies of the victims in the
Lai Chau hydropower plant landslide
were recovered.
The five deceased victims have been identified as four residents of La Nhi Thang, Si Lo Lau commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province: Phan Lao Lo (born 2009), Ly Lao San (born 2008), Tan U May (born 1984), and Tan Su May (born 1986). The fifth victim was Luong Van Ha (born 1987), a resident of Que Phong district, Nghe An province.
Rescue forces removed the victims’ bodies from the landslide site. Image credit: Lai Chau Provincial Police.
Senior Colonel Hoang Van Ky, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Lai Chau Provincial Military Command, shared that the rescue forces employed multiple strategies to expedite the recovery process. They had to use excavators to clear the higher points of the slope first before deploying specialized equipment to reach and move the victims’ bodies from the landslide area.
“The rescue operation faced challenges due to the approximately 40-meter-high slip slope and over 200 cubic meters of soil and rocks,” Senior Colonel Hoang Van Ky added.
Local residents and relatives of the victims observed the search, rescue, and recovery operations.
A representative from the investor of the
Ta Pao Ho 1A Hydropower Project
(Kosy Group) shared that they are working with the construction contractor to provide maximum support to the victims’ families. Initially, the investor will cover funeral and medical expenses and provide 50 million VND to each victim’s family.
“Subsequently, we will discuss with each family to determine the highest level of support we can offer,” the representative added.
Regarding the cause of the landslide, the representative attributed it to continuous rainfall over several days, causing a section of the hill above the slope to collapse onto the workers who were cleaning the foundation pit of the project. The representative also mentioned that the landslide occurred outside the project’s construction area.
When asked about the presence of underage workers at the construction site (including two deceased victims, Phan Lao Lo, 16, and Ly Lao San, 17), the investor’s representative explained that these workers were hired temporarily by the construction contractor for site cleanup. The investor was not aware of their employment.
Earlier, on May 16th, around 10:30 am, a landslide occurred at the construction site of the Ta Pao Ho 1A Hydropower Plant in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province, resulting in nine casualties. Initial reports indicated that the landslide buried workers who were excavating a foundation pit below the dam. Five fatalities were confirmed, and four injured workers were rushed to the Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital for treatment. Their condition has since stabilized.
