In Thừa Thiên- Huế, residents in Hương Văn Ward in Hương Trà District blamed blasts from a quarry for damaging walls in their homes. The quarry supplies material for production of Luks Cement Vietnam located in the district. Trần Thị Thương, a resident, told a newspaper that cracks appeared on all walls of her house. “The turbulence from mining blasts even blew down the doors of my house,” she said. Đỗ Hòa, another resident, said the blasts shook his house, created much dust and filled the air with a bad ordour from explosives. Thương, Hòa and other residents living within 200m of the quarry site, said the blasts had affected their lives with noise and air pollution since 2009. Despite sending petitions to the cement company, no change have been made. Nguyễn Xuân Chinh, the ward’s deputy chairman, confirmed the situation, saying the blasts seemed to be much louder than permitted. “We have worked with the company to ensure there are no blast within 300m of the nearest homes, but it is hard to monitor violations,” he said. Chinh also revealed a plan to evacuate affected residents from the site. In Quảng Bình, residents in Vạn Ninh Commune in the province’s Quảng Ninh District, said dust from a cement plant owned by VICEM Hải Vân Company affected their lives, vegetables and aquaculture. Nguyễn Văn Hùng, a resident, said the dust layer in the air was thick as mist, making it hard to breathe. Other residents near the plant said dust… [Read full story]
LAM DONG (VNS)— Inside Nguyen Thi Lan's three-storey house, scattered cracks cover the walls and floor. "The cracks get wider every day," Lan said. "I want to sell the house, but no one dares to buy it." Hundreds of other households near Tay Dai Lao Quarry, located in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong's Bao Loc City, are in a similar boat. After the quarry received a rock blasting licence in 2011, explosions have occurred twice a month - making local residents fear for their safety. "After the explosions started, houses got a lot of cracks," said a girl…... [read more]
PHU THO (VNS) - For years, stone exploitation has disrupted daily life for the 20 households living near Trung Anh Company's quarry in northern Phu Tho Province's Yen Lap District. "When dynamite is used to loosen rocks, our houses are showered with stones," said Du Quoc Tai, who lives in the district's Dinh Village. Tai's fellow villager Ha Thi Minh was terrified when an 8 kg stone from the quarry landed in front of her house. Hoang Ngoc Cham, who lives 700 metres from the quarry, said his house's glazed door was broken by a similar stone. Local residents also…... [read more]
Nearly 550 fires, explosions in four months Bomb blast wounds workers, damages national road Initial investigations showed that atmospheric lightning triggered a mass of mines prepared for a quarry blast to detonate one hour prior to the scheduled time. Local competent agencies quickly arrived on the scene as part of a search and rescue team to monitor the unexploded mines to prevent further explosion. The Cuong Thinh Co-operative which hired the victims provided the deceased’s families with the financial support of VND100 million (US$4,800) if they were local and VND120million (US$5,700), if they came from a neighbouring province. The quarry…... [read more]
An explosion killed at least 65 people and injured more than 120 at a factory in China that makes wheels for U.S. carmakers, including General Motors, state media said, as the country suffered its worst industrial accident in a year. More than 200 factory workers were said to be on the site at the time of the explosion. Chinese media cited the government as saying that the blast in the wealthy eastern province of Jiangsu occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday in Kunshan city, after an explosion ripped through a workshop that polishes wheel hubs. A preliminary investigation suggested that…... [read more]
HAI PHONG — Six labourers are dead and four injured after an unexpected explosion at a quarry in Lai Xuan Commune, Thuy Nguyen District in the northern port city of Hai Phong at 10am yesterday. Initial investigations showed that atmospheric lightning triggered a mass of mines prepared for a quarry blast to detonate one hour prior to the scheduled time. Local competent agencies quickly arrived on the scene as part of a search and rescue team to monitor the unexploded mines to prevent further explosion. The Cuong Thinh Co-operative which hired the victims provided the deceased's families with the financial…... [read more]