Floods, landslides disrupt trans-Vietnam routes

A section of the North-South Railway in Thua Thien Hue Province is covered with mud, soil and rocks on October 15, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Duy

A landslide occurring Friday night in Thua Thien Hue Province dumped soil and rock onto the tracks and a station of the North-South Railway.

At some areas along the tracks through Hai Van Pass, the natural border between Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang City, the layer of soil and rock was as high as 30 cm, paralyzing train services.

The landslide happened after torrential rains poured down in Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue from Friday afternoon as Storm Son Ca approached.

Hoang Gia Khanh, deputy general director of the Vietnam Railways Corporation, said that the volume of rock and soil falling down has not been determined yet as the railway terrain through Hai Van pass is quite dangerous and functional force will arrive to the scene only when the flood water recedes and the rains stop.

Floods cause erosion on National Highway 49B that runs in parallel with National Highway 1 in Thua Thien Hue, October 15, 2022. Photo by VnExpress

Due to the storm, the fifth to hit Vietnam so far this year, Da Nang received up to 730 mm of rain while Thua Thien-Hue got 650 mm from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.

Flood water inundated three sections of National Highway 1 in Thua Thien Hue by 40-90 cm, prompting local authorities to ban traffic in the area from 8:45 p.m. Friday.

Flooding also eroded a section of Ho Chi Minh Highway through the province. Both highways are two of four trans-Vietnam routes.

Hai Van Tunnel 1 and 2 under Hai Van Pass on the morning of October 15, 2022. Photo by VnExpress

Two Hai Van tunnels run beneath the Hai Van Pass were temporarily shut down on Friday night after flood water, soil and rocks fell down from the pass and blocked it.

The tunnel’s management board has had all soil and rock cleaned from Hai Van Tunnel 2 late Friday night and by early Saturday so that vehicles could drive through. Tunnel 1 is still blocked.

An excavator clean up the road leading to Hai Van Tunnel on the night of October 14, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Duy

The board said 12,000 cubic meters of soil and rock spread 200 m long and 1 m high on average at the two tunnels. Hai Van Tunnel 1 got hit by 8,000 cubic meters.

According to the National Center for Hydro -Meteorological Forecasting, Storm Son Ca weakened into a tropical depression late Friday and made landfall over Da Nang and Quang Nam at 4 a.m. Saturday.

Heavy rains should be expected along the central coast until Sunday, it said.