A nuclear disaster drill was conducted on Friday in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat to improve local authorities’ ability to respond to future mishaps such as a radiation leak in Vietnam’s largest nuclear research hub. Thirteen units were involved in the large-scale drill headed by the administration of Lam Dong Province where Da Lat is located. The hypothetical emergency was a traffic accident between a passenger bus and a specialized vehicle transporting two sealed radioactive sources of Iridium-192. Prolonged leakage of Iridum-192 could pose severe health risks to local residents, who could develop cancer or even die from overexposure to the radioactive material, according to the drill’s script. Lam Dong’s emergency nuclear response team, which is composed of experts from Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute, the local fire department, and the local traffic police force, took part in taking exposed victims to hospital and relocating the radioactive source to an isolated area. Decontamination works were carried out afterwards to make sure no residues of the harmful radioactive isotope remains exposed. Da Lat is home to Vietnam’s largest hub of scientific research in the fields of biotechnology and nuclear physics, with as many as 23 units dealing with equipments containing radioactive sources. A nuclear reactor with a capacity of 500 kW is located inside Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute, where up to 900 radioactive sources are in use. Photos of the nuclear disaster drill in Da Lat, Lam Dong Province on January 26, 2018: Like us on Facebook or follow us on… [Read full story]
Da Lat University in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat on Monday put into operation a South Korean-funded nuclear reactor simulation system. >> Vietnam hails IAEA’s assistance in nuclear power infrastructure The system, a real-time OPR 1000 Core Simulator (CoSi), was built with funding from the Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation (KNA), the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Central Research Institute (KHNP-CRI), and Korea-based Hangyang University, under the consent of the governments of South Korea and Vietnam. The system, which cost US$2 million, is a simulator of the OPR 1000 reactor, with a capacity of 1,000 MW, the…... [read more]
Editor’s note: In this entry submitted to the "Ky Vong Viet Nam 20 Nam Toi" ("My Expectations for Vietnam in 20 Years") writing contest, Nguyen Hoang Chuong, 55, from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, hopes that the province’s resort city of Da Lat will be elevated to a new height in two decades. As a resident who lives in this Central Highlands city for more than 30 years, I always picture Da Lat in the next 20 years as the "Paris of Indochina" – or a city of tourism, science and high technology. My picture of Da Lat…... [read more]
The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute yesterday conducted a drill in response to a potential nuclear radiation resulted from a fire at the Da Lat nuclear reactor in Da Lat city, Lam Dong Province. The event, the first of its kind so far, took place at the reactor, run by the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute, on Sunday morning, with the attendance of more than 100 experts and engineers of the Institute and firefighters from the provincial Fire Prevention and Control Police Department. The rehearsal was based on a scenario that a fire and explosion had suddenly broken out in the…... [read more]
Lam Dong Province, home to the popular highlands resort town of Da Lat, has issued a list of rules for tourists that includes a dress code and shopping guidelines. The code of etiquette, drawn up by the province’s tourism department, asks visitors to be “civilized, decent and responsible”, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. They should wear suitable clothing, respect cultural differences, avoid littering and stealing, and queue in line when they are shopping or buying tickets. The purchase of undocumented goods and wildlife products is deemed “inappropriate” behavior, the rules state. Hotels, restaurants and other services are also warned not to overcharge,…... [read more]
(VEN) - With the purpose of using effectively nuclear energy and further improving the safety and operating effectiveness of the Da Lat Nuclear Reactor, a research project focusing on the safe operation of the reactor received a National Science and Technology Award. In the context of power shortages, researching the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation has become a key issue. In addition, nuclear energy can be used in other industries, such as agriculture, health and natural resources and environment. However, solutions to ensure the safe application of this energy are sorely needed. In order to apply nuclear energy,…... [read more]