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Natech Accident Final
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Natech Accident
2015/07/29
Cua Ong Ward heavy rain and flood, Viet Nam, 2015
Quang Ninh coal mine, Viet Nam
Final

Units Involved

  1. Tailings dam 790
    Storage: Unknown

Event Sequences

  1. Toxic sludge avalanche
    1. Tailings dam 790
    Toxic sludge that spilled out of tailings dam have seriously contaminated farmland, rivers and coastal areas
    1. Sludge: coal mining waste products
      Coal mining waste can contain a wide array of materials dangerous to
      human health and the environment including: arsenic, boron, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, selenium and thallium.
    Initiating EventCritical EventMajor Event
    Component (Structural): Partial collapse
    As a consequence of torrential rain and basin flooding, a 3 meter long section of dam 790 broke
    Release: Liquid release to flood water
    Sludge and floodwaters spilled from the breach
    Dispersion: Substance in / on water
    Coal wastes contaminated rivers and eventually reached the sea
    Drinable kwater, vegetation, shores and sealife were contaminated
    Dispersion: Substance in / on ground
    The black mud spread to the countryside and buried a portion of the near city.
    People, soil, fields, vegetation and wildlife were contaminated

Weather Conditions

Rain

Emergency Response

Insufficient personnel and equipment to respond to both emergencies: Yes
Natech event prevents access of personnel to natural hazard affected area: No
Natech event prevents efficient operation of personnel in the natural hazard affected area: Yes
The Vietnam People’s Army has deployed about 31,000 soldiers and 860 vehicles to help authorities and residents in northern provinces to deal with the flooding
Damage to lifelines (e.g. water, power, communication, transportation): Yes
  • Local hazmat team
  • Regional / national hazmat teams
Off-site evacuation

Consequences

  • Inland (e.g. grassland, cropland, forest)
  • Freshwater (e.g. pond, lake, stream)
  • Shore (e.g. beach, dune, marsh land)
  • Off-shore (e.g. estuary, sea)
There were large delays of coal supplies to national power plants due to the interruption of lifelines.
  • Residential areas (e.g. housings, hotels)
  • Commercial areas (e.g. offices, shops)
  • Public areas (e.g. schools, hospitals)
  • Utilities (e.g. gas, water, electricity, telecommunication)
  • Infrastructure (e.g. roads, railways, air transport)
Hundreds of households have been severely damaged and/or submerged by the sludge avalanche.

Remedial Activities

The mining companies in the area took one to three months to restart operations. It took weeks to restore lifeline connections.

Lessons Learned

Coal waste facilities are ticking time bombs if they are not properly constructed to withstand large rainfall events
As the unfolding disaster in Quang Ninh shows all too clearly, there have not been sufficient efforts to protect surrounding communities or Ha Long Bay from a deluge of coal waste.

Climate change is only going to make extreme weather events such as this more common. The government plans to push investments on mining sector have been revised, in the light of the dangers to human health and safety that arise as a result of coal waste problems
ID: 64, Created: Amos NECCI, 2016-09-21 13:46:44 – Last Updated: Amos NECCI, 2021-01-05 13:54:33

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