At 8 a.m. on 29/8, residents found a body near the auxiliary dam of the Hua Na hydroelectric plant in Loc village, Thong Thu commune. Due to its advanced state of decomposition, authorities were unable to determine the gender.

Between 25/8 and 28/8, three other bodies were found in the reservoir. One was female, while the other two were too decomposed to identify. A wooden box, suspected to be a coffin with foreign writing, was also found in the area.

The Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir, where four bodies have been recovered over the past four days. Photo: Duc Hung

Bui Van Hien, Thong Thu commune Party Secretary, stated that authorities suspect the bodies drifted from Laos along the Chu river. Commune officials have contacted Lao authorities for assistance in the investigation.

"Lao officials confirmed heavy rains and landslides occurred several days ago near the Vietnamese border, impacting a village cemetery, but have not provided further details," Hien said.

The first three bodies have been buried according to regulations. Authorities are collecting samples and working to identify the bodies and determine the cause of death. They are also conducting a thorough search of the Hua Na reservoir.

The Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir, bordering Laos, covers 21 square kilometers and has a capacity of 569 million cubic meters. It is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in North Central Vietnam.

On 25/8, Typhoon Kajiki made landfall between Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces, bringing winds of 100-125 km/h and causing significant damage across North Central Vietnam. Heavy rain and landslides also occurred in the Northern region. By the morning of 26/8, the typhoon had weakened into a tropical depression over Laos, with sustained winds of 61 km/h, but continued to produce widespread heavy rain and strong winds.

Duc Hung