Vietnam - Hydro-power dam cracked due to design errors

VietNamNet Bridge – Experts from the Ministry of Construction have confirmed that water leakage at the dam of the Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant in Quang Nam province were caused by errors in design.

In pictures: Water gushes from hydropower dam’s cracks 
Hydro-power barrage cracked, locals worried 


Dr. Bui Trung Dung, deputy director of the State Agency for Assessing Quality of Construction Works and the leader of the Ministry of Construction’s inspection team at Song Tranh 2, said on March 21, that the dam does not have a water pipe connecting the left basement to the right basement to the downstream. Consequently, stagnant water easily runs through elastic slits and absorbs through the dam.

Mr. Dung also said that there were errors in design inspection and consulting-supervision. Moreover, the work is during the two-year period of warranty but the contractor did not work closely with the investor to fix errors.

Experts said that the volume of water leaked through the dam (30l per second) is quite high. They asked the contractor to check the entire dam and fill all cracks with cement, asphalt, etc.

Meanwhile, in the morning of March 21, the investor of Song Tranh 2 hydro-power told Quang Nam authorities that water leaked through the dam because the drainage pipe was stuck.

Quang Nam province’s Party Chief Nguyen Duc Hai stressed that the most important task is calming local people down. He asked all competent agencies to solve the incident thoroughly to ensure safety for people in the downstream region.

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai has instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) and the State Council for Checking and Taking over Construction Works to urgently inspect and fixed errors at Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant.

Nam Nguyen


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