Deputy Director Chu Van An of the Khanh Hoa Province Department of Transport confirmed that the landslides were caused by prolonged torrential rain, which loosened the soil and caused the slopes to collapse onto the road.
By the evening of December 15, Chairman Van Ngoc Huong of the People's Committee of Khanh Vinh District reported that approximately 60 people were stranded at the landslide site between Km42 and Km54. Local authorities have sent rescue teams on foot to deliver food and water to these individuals.
At the landslide site between Km54 and Km59, approximately 200 people and dozens of vehicles were stranded. Due to the remote location, rescue teams have yet to reach this area.
“Given the limited scale of the landslide and its close proximity to Lam Dong Province, the Chairman of Khanh Hoa Province has reached out to his counterpart in Lam Dong, as well as to the Chairman of Lac Duong District, to seek assistance in reopening the road for vehicular traffic,” informed Chairman Huong.
Director Le Thuan Doan of Khanh Hoa Road Construction and Management JSC. stated that the landslides involved over 1,000m3 of soil and rocks. Despite maximum efforts to clear the road, the large volume of wet soil and continued rainfall have hindered the recovery efforts.
On the same day, Chairman Bui The of the People's Committee of Lac Duong District in Lam Dong Province (the neighboring area) confirmed that following the landslides on National Highway 27C in Khanh Vinh District, the authorities in Lac Duong District and Lam Dong Province have installed warning signs from Da Lat City and diverted traffic away from Khanh Le Pass to prevent vehicles from entering the affected area.
“In response to the landslide at the upper end of Km59 on National Highway 27C in Son Thai Commune, Khanh Vinh District, Lam Dong Province authorities have proactively coordinated efforts to clear the road and deliver food and supplies to assist stranded travelers until normal traffic is restored”, stated Chairman Bui The.
In related news, according to the Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Quang Ngai Province, as of 5:00 p.m. on December 15, heavy rain together with flooding caused by the Tra Cau River inundated approximately 16 houses in Neighborhood No.1 of Pho Minh Ward in Duc Pho Town. Local authorities have deployed 15 civil defense forces to assist residents in evacuating and protecting their property.
Meanwhile, mountainous districts in Quang Ngai Province are closely monitoring the heavy rain situation and preparing to evacuate residents from areas at high risk of landslides, such as Mang Ka Muong (Son Bao Commune, Son Ha District) and Neighborhood No.4 (Huong Tra Commune, Tra Bong District).
