VietNamNet Bridge – A dam in Dam Ha district in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh broke this morning after a day of heavy rains, submerging hundreds of houses.

Quang Ninh’s Vice Chairman Dang Huy Hau said the local government has evacuated people in the submerged and flood-prone areas to safe ground.

Vuong Dinh Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Ninh, says: "We still don’t know about the causes of the incidents and have not yet calculated the losses."

Hoang Van Thang, General Director of the Irrigation Agency, immediately flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Ninh. "Through discussions with provincial leaders, I know that there were no human losses while the statistics of material losses are still unclear," said Thang.

"The case shows flaws in management of dams and it will threaten upcoming crops,” he added.

The dam was built in 2006 at a cost of over VND500 billion (about $27 million) from government bonds and the local budget. It supplies water for 3,500 hectares of arable land and 29,000 people.

Le Ha