Well drilling triggers massive sinkhole in Hanoi

A sinkhole five meters deep has opened up in Chuong My District after a local resident drilled into an unstable area to find groundwater.

The incident was confirmed by Hoang Minh Hien, deputy chairman of the Chuong My People’s Committee on Wednesday.  

The sinkhole opened around 5:00 pm on Tuesday along Provincial Road No. 419’s section through Quang Bi Commune, according to Dang Dinh Luc, a Quang Bi resident.

The cavity, which spreads over 10 square meters, invaded the living room of one house and harmed the façades of four other houses on the side of the road.

Vu Van Manh, chairman of the Quang Bi People’s Committee, the incident stemmed from the decision of Dang Dinh Nham, a local resident, to drill a well, which caused the ground to snap when the drill reached 47 meters underground.

Seeing fractures, the drilling workers quickly notified the neighborhood to evacuate before the collapse took place.

Responding to the incident, the Quang Bi People’s Committee promptly cordoned off the scene, evacuated 20 households, and sealed off parts of the Provincial Road No. 419 to ensure commuters’ safety.

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