Cracks have opened on Ham Rong mountain in Hai Phong's Bach Dang ward, VnExpress reported on 4 November. The fissures run continuously from the summit downward, 20 to 100 centimetres wide and still widening. In places the ground has slid, exposing weathered rock several square metres across, and debris has spilled over residents' retaining walls.
The hill is more than 60 metres high and covers over 1.75 hectares, in the middle of a crowded neighbourhood in Ngu Lao residential group, near 25/10 Street. It is mostly covered in acacia, and residents graze livestock there. Nguyen Hoang Minh, chairman of the ward People's Committee, said Hai Phong has not had prolonged rain recently, but the geological change is still developing and directly threatens infrastructure and the safety of the hundreds of households living around the hill.
The ward has fenced off and put up warning signs in the danger zone, posted staff to control access around the clock, and will use drones to record every crack. For now four households are judged to be in the danger zone. The ward will work with specialist agencies to assess the level of risk, and then discuss relocating residents and propose a longer-term fix, Mr Minh said.
Sources
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