Due to the impact of Typhoon Matmo (Typhoon No. 11), the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant’s earth dam in Lang Son Province has collapsed. At 1:30 PM on October 7th, the earth dam at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant, located in Tan Tien Commune (formerly Kim Dong Commune, Trang Dinh District), Lang Son Province, experienced a breach.
According to the Industrial Safety and Environmental Engineering Agency, the Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant has a reservoir capacity of 4.8 million cubic meters. The dam consists of an earth embankment and a concrete spillway with a free-flow design. The earth dam is 107 meters long, the free-flow spillway is 260 meters long, and the maximum dam height is 26.5 meters. The plant has an installed capacity of 2.4 MW.
Preliminary damage assessment indicates that the power plant is flooded. Fortunately, there are no casualties reported. One metering device is damaged, but other equipment remains intact.
The Industrial Safety and Environmental Engineering Agency representative stated that the plant has notified local authorities in Tan Tien, Trang Dinh, and That Khe Communes, Lang Son Province, to inform residents to relocate their assets and move to higher ground, ensuring the safety of both lives and property.
A 4-5 meter breach in the earth dam at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant.
Additionally, the plant has coordinated with the power utility company to cut off electricity to ensure safety. On the same day, the Minister of Industry and Trade established a task force to visit the site, assess the situation, and provide timely guidance.
The incident has affected residents in three villages: Bac Khe, Na Soong, and Hop Luc, totaling 196 households with 779 inhabitants. Among them, 23 households with 101 individuals were directly impacted by the dam breach. All affected residents have been relocated to safety.
Led by Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, Director of the Industrial Safety and Environmental Engineering Agency, the task force from the Ministry of Industry and Trade inspected the breach site at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant in Lang Son Province.
By 7:00 PM on October 7th, the situation at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant had stabilized, with the rain stopping and the reservoir water level receding. The task force instructed the project investor to immediately implement the approved emergency response plan for dam breaches, particularly by warning downstream residents and coordinating with local authorities to evacuate people and assets from flood-prone areas.
The Director of the Industrial Safety and Environmental Engineering Agency also requested the Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade to closely collaborate with local authorities in executing the assigned tasks within the emergency response plan. The project investor was directed to deploy leadership to the site to directly command response efforts, mobilize maximum resources, and minimize damage to the facility and downstream areas.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade task force inspecting the site.
Given the complex flood situation, the Minister of Industry and Trade issued an official telegram urging the Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of Dien Bien, Son La, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, and Lao Cai Provinces, as well as owners and management units of dams and hydropower reservoirs, to focus maximum resources on the following tasks:
The Minister of Industry and Trade instructed local authorities to closely monitor flood developments, promptly inform all levels of government and residents to proactively prevent and avoid risks, and develop safety plans for residents to be ready for the worst-case scenarios, avoiding any surprises.
Localities must direct hydropower plant owners and management units to operate and implement safety plans for dams and reservoirs, especially during abnormal situations.
The Minister of Industry and Trade requested provincial People’s Committees to direct their Departments of Industry and Trade to establish inspection teams to monitor the operation of hydropower reservoirs, particularly small ones (Nam Cat, Ta Lang, Khuoi Thuoc, Na Loa, Na Tau, Tien Thanh, Thoong Cot 2, Pac Cap, Thuong An), to ensure the safety of dams, reservoirs, and downstream areas.
“The Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade must urgently inspect the breach at Bac Khe 1 Hydropower Plant and direct the plant and local functional units to immediately implement the emergency response plan, ensuring absolute safety for downstream residents.
Hydropower plant owners and management units must establish 24/7 command and flood prevention duty shifts, regularly update and report to competent authorities on facility operations, especially during abnormal or emergency situations,” the Minister of Industry and Trade instructed.
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