A lightning strike punctured a molasses storage tank at the Song Lam Sugar Joint Stock Company, leading to a spill of approximately 2,000 liters of molasses within 30 minutes. The incident, which occurred on 3/5, caused damage exceeding 7 billion VND at the factory in Nghe An province.

The affected storage tank, made of iron over one cm thick, stood approximately 15 m high with a diameter exceeding 10 m and a capacity of about 6,000 liters. Around 5 p.m. on 3/5, a lightning bolt struck the tank, creating a loud explosion. Molasses splattered and spilled across the premises. "The molasses flowed out for about 30 minutes; everyone could only watch because the hole was too large to manage," said Dang Manh Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of the company.

Molasses storage tank of Song Lam Sugar Joint Stock Company after the rupture on the afternoon of 3/5. Photo: Hung Le

The lightning-induced hole was approximately 1 m wide and 1,2 m high, located in the upper section of the tank. The molasses stopped flowing once it reached this level, with an estimated 2,000 liters spilling out and about 4,000 liters remaining inside. Following the incident, the company mobilized workers overnight to address the issue, using pumps to extract the spilled molasses into auxiliary tanks. By the morning of 4/5, the site had been cleared.

The leader of Nhan Hoa commune confirmed that specialists worked with Song Lam Sugar Joint Stock Company on a recovery plan. Initial assessments determined that the spilled molasses residue, a byproduct of the sugar production process, would not affect residential areas. This residue, remaining after sugar separation, is typically used for producing alcohol, fertilizer, and other products.

Molasses spilled across the factory premises after lightning punctured the storage tank on the afternoon of 3/5. Video: Hung Le

The factory has one storage tank, which is surrounded by a lightning protection system. However, the commune leader noted, "Yesterday afternoon, Nhan Hoa commune and some adjacent areas experienced thunderstorms, lightning, and hail, making it difficult for the lightning rod system to withstand the conditions." The factory, built in 2000, has been operating for 26 years, and some components have deteriorated, contributing to the vulnerability.

Molasses flowing in streams across the factory premises on the afternoon of 3/5. Photo: Hung Le

In response, the company announced plans to renovate some components and upgrade its lightning protection system in the future to ensure production operations and prevent similar incidents.

The Song Lam Nghe An Sugar Factory, now known as Song Lam Sugar Joint Stock Company, is one of two sugar industrial facilities in the North constructed with foreign aid. It was built in 1958 and became operational in 1960. In 1999, Nghe An province relocated the factory from Hung Nguyen district (formerly) to Dinh Son commune (now Nhan Hoa commune, formerly Anh Son district), increasing its capacity to 500 tons of sugarcane daily.

Duc Hung