The Hanoi Urban Railway Management Board has decided to relocate 11 households in Hanoi's Kim Ma Ward to temporary accommodation as of Thursday night, due to potentially dangerous settling during underground construction of the capital city's new urban railway line.
The decision follows the board's identification of excessive settlement during the construction of tunnels for the Nhon - Hanoi Station line, which exceeded the safety threshold in the area near the homes on Alley 7, Giang Van Minh Street.
Previously, four households had been temporarily relocated according to the project's initial plan.
Also on Thursday, the project coordinated with local authorities to hold a meeting with the affected households at the People's Committee of Kim Ma Ward.
The meeting focused on discussing the relocation plan for the affected families.
Under the plan, each household will receive a support package of VND16 million (US$626) to ensure stability during the relocation period.
All affected families have agreed to the support measures and are cooperating fully to facilitate the project's construction while ensuring progress remains on schedule.
During the relocation period, the project will continue its monitoring and assessment activities, implementing reinforcement measures for the foundation to ensure the safety of related structures.
The process is expected to last approximately one month.
Before construction on the railway line began, the project’s investor had required the contractor to purchase third-party liability insurance.
After detecting signs of impact, the insurance company promptly conducted surveys, assessments and inventories to facilitate compensation for any affected households, if necessary.
“The project is committed to maintaining close supervision of the situation, listening to the concerns of the public and working closely with all stakeholders to ensure safety and transparency in addressing the issue. We sincerely hope to receive the continued cooperation of local residents during this temporary phase,” said a spokesperson from the board.
At 4 p.m. on February 20, while tunnelling with the TBM1 machine, mud was seen spurting up from the ground at the alley.
The incident was promptly identified and reported by the contractor’s monitoring team.
Upon receiving the report, the board, along with Systra consultants, Hyundai-Ghella contractors and local authorities immediately visited the site to assess the situation and deploy a response plan.
