Subsidence caused by well drilling in Hanoi caused many houses to tilt

According to statistics from Dong Quang commune, the incident affected 6 households in the same area, with many houses tilting and sinking. In addition, houses with drilled wells about a hundred meters away also recorded the phenomenon of water pushing up from below.

According to sources from Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, the authorities of Dong Quang commune, Quoc Oai district, Hanoi are having to blockade 6 houses and install safety warning wires after a large area of land subsided.

Specifically, this afternoon, November 24, Commune Chairman Vuong Duy Hung said the incident originated from yesterday's well drilling project of Mr. Nguyen Van Minh's family in Hamlet 2, Yen Noi Village.

"Mr. Minh's family is a pig butcher, so they drilled a well to get water for washing. When drilling about 40 meters, they hit rocks. Drilling another 2 meters, they saw the phenomenon of machine contraction, lifting the machine and then tilting the house, causing the yard to subside." - Mr. Hung said.

Up to now, according to Dong Quang commune's statistics, the incident has affected 6 households in the same area, with many houses tilted and subsided. In addition, houses with drilled wells about a hundred meters away also recorded the phenomenon of water pushing up from below.

"Yesterday afternoon, the city sent specialized committees to inspect and determine the cause. While waiting for the authorities to come to a conclusion, we stretched the rope and continued to monitor the phenomenon of subsidence and cutting. Appoint someone to look after it and prohibit people from going back and forth" - Chairman of Dong Quang commune said.

The phenomenon of houses tilting and sinking when drilling wells has happened in Quoc Oai and My Duc districts many years ago. At that time, the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued a document advising people to limit well drilling to avoid similar incidents.

According to geological experts, drilling wells in places with weak soil layers, loose fine sand layers located above strongly fractured limestone layers, and underground Karst caves has unintentionally created paths, washing away materials. This fine material enters underground cracks and caves and creates new voids in the soil. When the size of these gaps is large enough, the original equilibrium state of the soil is broken and subsidence occurs.

A similar case of subsidence occurred on the same day, November 24, in Ha Tinh. According to sources from Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Dang Phu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Hai commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province - confirmed that a large sinkhole has just appeared in the area, with an impact area of up to 50 m2.

The incident happened on the evening of November 22 at Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung's house, living in village 5. This morning, another subsidence hole appeared at Mr. Truong Quoc Huy's house next door. Immediately after receiving news of the incident, commune leaders were present at the scene and stretched ropes to ensure safety. According to initial records, the sinkhole is about more than 3 m deep, 15 m2 wide, and the affected area is up to 50 m2.

Currently, Mr. Hung's house and Mr. Huy's house have cracked floors and walls, falling completely towards the crater. Below the crater, many trees and people's belongings were swept away.

Mr. Hung said the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on November 22. While his family was sitting at home drinking water, they suddenly heard a loud noise, shaking the house, causing everyone to panic. When he ran out, he discovered that a large sinkhole had swallowed the corner of the garden, taking with it the chicken coop and many trees.

"That same night, my whole family had to move to my parents' house to stay. Currently, my house and buffalo barn are completely tilted towards the edge of the hole. The area where the land collapsed is residential land, flat and from before. Up to now, such a phenomenon has never happened" - Mr. Hung said.

The incident was reported by the local government to the district and authorities to have a solution and find out the cause of the subsidence.

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