The Da Nang Department of Construction issued a press release on the evening of 3/12 regarding a road subsidence incident on Nguyen Cong Tru street in An Hai ward. According to the department, the Capital Square 3 project, currently under underground construction, had an exposed retaining wall adjacent to the road. Heavy rain caused water to carry sand into the construction area, eroding the foundation and fracturing the underground stormwater drainage pipe.

Water from the fractured pipe continued to erode the surrounding soil, resulting in the collapse of the road surface and underlying infrastructure. This erosion was identified as the direct cause of the large sinkhole.

The sinkhole swallowed two cars next to the high-rise construction site on the afternoon of 3/12. Photo: Ngoc Truong

Around 2:10 p.m. that day, a section of Nguyen Cong Tru street, spanning about 15 meters long and 6 meters wide, suddenly collapsed between the Ngo Quyen and Tran Hung Dao intersections. Two cars parked along the road fell into the hole, and an engineer inspecting the retaining wall sustained a leg injury. The underlying drainage pipe also broke.

Following the incident, the investor and construction contractors secured the hazardous area, erected barriers, and implemented temporary safety measures for residents and vehicles. The Department of Construction instructed the investor to promptly assess the damage, develop a repair plan, and proceed with its implementation.

SIH Real Estate Co., Ltd. is the investor for the Capital Square 3 project. At a press conference on 2/12, Nguyen Ha Nam, Director of the Department of Construction, noted that the increasing number of high-rise buildings along the Han River places significant pressure on urban infrastructure management and coordination.

Detailed causes and the responsibilities of involved parties are still under investigation.

Nguyen Dong