On the evening of 14/3, a representative from Railway Safety Management Department II (Vietnam Railway Administration) announced an emergency suspension of train services through the Hai Van - Hai Van Nam section due to continued rockfall onto the tracks, posing a safety risk.

Consequently, train SE18, departing from Da Nang on 14/3, was halted. For night passenger trains later that day, the railway sector arranged passenger transfers by oto between Da Nang station and Lang Co station (Hue City), and vice versa for the SE5 - SE6 and SE7 - SE8 train pairs. Freight trains were also temporarily stopped to ensure safety.

Rocks continued to fall onto the railway section through Hai Van Pass. *Railway sector provided*.

The incident occurred when rocks fell onto the railway at Km768+875 that evening. Hours earlier, a flycam inspection revealed numerous unstable rock formations on the mountainside, posing a risk of further landslides. As darkness fell, several large rocks subsequently dislodged.

Initial assessments suggest the rockfall may be linked to construction activities for a tourism and resort complex project located on the cliff face above the Hai Van Pass area.

Due to darkness, treacherous terrain, and limited visibility in the pass area, immediate removal of the dangerous rock formations was not possible overnight. The railway sector deployed personnel for 24-hour monitoring and plans a comprehensive inspection of the entire cliff face on the morning of 15/3 to devise a solution before resuming train operations.

Earlier, at approximately 8h this morning, freight train AH1 derailed at Km769+850 when falling rocks bent and broke the railway tracks. After more than 6 hours of repairs, the north-south railway line reopened at 14h05, allowing some trains to pass. However, continued rockfall in the evening forced the railway sector to close the line for a second time to ensure safety.

Flycam footage shows traces of rockfall from the project construction area above the railway. *Railway sector provided*.

By noon that day, the incident had affected the journeys of approximately 5 passenger trains, each carrying hundreds of passengers.

Regarding the incident, a representative of the construction unit for the project located above the Hai Van Pass confirmed that rocks had fallen from the construction area onto the railway. On the afternoon of 14/3, the unit held an emergency meeting with the railway sector and relevant parties to coordinate site management and address the incident.

The unit stated it is continuing to work with authorities to inspect the mountainside area, monitor the risk of rockfall, and coordinate measures to ensure the safety of the railway line through Hai Van Pass.

Nguyen Dong