Ia Krel 2 Hydropower Plant was scheduled to be put into operation in July 2013, but its main dam broke on June 12, threatening the lives of hundreds of local residents in Gia Lai.

Crack in the dam 

One family heard the loud noise of flowing water in the early morning on June 12. Believing it was the sound of vehicles passing, they ignored it and continued sleeping. A few minutes later, however, the father turned on a light and discovered that the water level was rising.

Ro Cham Huong, the 17-year old daughter said, "It was lucky for us that our father got up and discovered the problem in time. We all could have died."

Siu Deo, a 53-year old resident of the area, said that the water started flowing violently at around 6:00 a.m when he was arriving to his fields. He immediately called his daughter, telling her to flee the area.

According to initial statistics, 69 houses were flooded, one bridge was swept away and around 200 ha of cropland were damaged. Fortunately there has been no reported loss of human life.

The Duc Co District People’s Committee said to date they are unaware of the cause of the dam break. Still, Bao Long-Gia Lai Industry and Hydroelectricity Joint Stock Company, maintains that there was no actual dam break. He explained that the problem had to do with a drain contained in the dam which had cracked. He said that the company was focused on dealing with the problem.

Photos of the dam break:

Huong and her niece escape

Shocked locals 

Damaged crops

The core of the drain