Earthquakes trigger landslides in central Vietnam

At least six earthquake with magnitudes ranging from 3 to 4 on the Richter scale subsequently struck Kon Plong district on November 30 afternoon and evening, reported the Institute of Geophysics of Vietnam.

Many residents living in Nam Tra My district of Quang Nam province reported they felt 3 to 4 strong aftershocks, particularly the first two earthquakes. Many were so frightened that they ran out of their homes.

At the same time, landslides occurred in Tu Hon village of Nam Tra My district, with large boulders from the top of Ngoc Mong mountain rolling down towards the area above the village, approximately 30 to 50 meters from residents’ homes.

The landslides were believed to be triggered by the earthquakes from Kon Tum province, said local authorities.

At the scene, several large boulders were found precariously perched on high cliffs or caught on tree trunks during the landslide, posing a risk of rolling down further and threatening the safety of 17 households with 69 residents, as well as the local kindergarten in Tu Hon village.

Local authorities urgently evacuated all residents from the danger zone to avoid being hit by rolling rocks. They also developed a plan to address the landslide incident.