On 27/5, a leader from the Investigation Police Agency Office, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, announced that criminal proceedings had been initiated and Luu Van Hai, director and legal representative of Anh Tuan Co., Ltd., was temporarily detained. This action followed an inspection of the company's quarry in Cam Tu commune, where a fatal rockslide occurred, revealing numerous violations in mineral extraction.

Rescue forces search for buried victims. *Photo: Le Hoang*

The incident took place earlier, around 5 p.m. on 20/5, when a rockslide struck the Anh Tuan Co., Ltd. quarry in Quy Long village, Cam Tu commune, burying three workers. At the time of the accident, many laborers were working near the base of the mountain. The three victims, all rock drillers from Gia Hoi commune, Lao Cai province, died in the incident.

According to a representative from the Geology and Minerals Department, Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Environment, the company's extraction methods were inconsistent with the approved mine design. Specifically, in the central area of the quarry, the company extracted from the bottom up, failing to create benches according to regulations on height and slope angle. They also undercut the mountain base, creating an 'undercut.'

Specialist agencies determined that these practices were a main cause of the landslide. Additionally, the company had not constructed a path for workers to ascend the mountain from elevations of +80 to +160 meters, as per the construction design. The quarry area also contained many loose and overhanging rocks, posing a risk of further landslides and safety hazards.

While the Cam Tu Commune People's Committee had initially attributed the landslide to prolonged heavy rain destabilizing the geological structure, specialist agencies stated that weather was not the primary cause, but rather technical errors in quarrying operations.

The scene of the quarry collapse. *Photo: Le Hoang*

Nguyen Hoai Anh, Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, ordered a complete halt to all mining operations at the Anh Tuan Co., Ltd. quarry. This halt is to facilitate the investigation and verify compliance with regulations on mineral exploitation, labor safety, and environmental protection.

The Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee licensed this quarry for operation in 2015. It covers an area of over 13,600 square meters, has reserves exceeding 451,000 cubic meters of limestone, and was approved for open-pit mining over a period of 29 years.

Le Hoang