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| A section of Hue Imperial Citadel wall collapsed |
According to Hue Monuments Conservation Center, the wall collapse occurred at around 6:45 p.m. on November 2nd. Immediately after discovering the incident, Hue Monuments Conservation Center quickly implemented safety measures, setting up barriers and covering the collapsed area and erecting warning signs to protect residents, visitors, and staff working in the area. At the same time, the Center invited representatives from the Department of Construction to the scene to survey, inspect, and make an initial assessment for reporting to Hue City People’s Committee.
Recorded at the scene on the afternoon of November 4th, the area of the collapsed wall still had bricks strewn about. Almost the entire brick wall had fallen inward; this area remained flooded with about 30 cm of water. Further away, warning signs were erected to limit traffic.
The Imperial Citadel is located roughly at the center of the Imperial City and has an almost square plan, each side is about 600m long; it was built of brick, 4m high and 1m thick, surrounded by a protective moat, and has four gates for entry and exit.
It is reported that, in addition to the above incident, because of prolonged heavy rain and flooding, many other components of the Imperial Citadel and the tombs within the Complex of Hue Monuments have also been affected. The Bat Trang brick paving in some courtyard areas and walkways shows signs of flaking and damage; the embankment system around Ngoai Kim Thuy Lake has been eroded and faces a high risk of subsidence. In Co Ha Garden, many ornamental trees are waterlogged and damaged; the electrical systems, lightning protection, and information technology infrastructure are damaged and operating unstably.
Accordingly, on November 3rd, Hue Monuments Conservation Center cooperated with representatives of the Department of Construction to carry out a survey and preliminary assessment of the incident. According to visual records, the collapsed part of the wall consisted of many detached large bricks that lacked cohesive bonding. Visual observation also showed the wall was built in three layers: the inner and outer layers were built of large bricks, and the middle layer was filled with clay. In addition, some adjacent sections of the wall were observed to be leaning inward, and some sections exhibited cracks and weak structures, with the potential to continue shifting if subjected to heavy rain and prolonged rising water.
That same day, Hue Monuments Conservation Center reported the incident caused by natural disaster to Hue City People’s Committee, proposing that the People’s Committee direct relevant agencies to immediately carry out survey and assessment work, propose remedial solutions as well as other handling steps in accordance with regulations. According to the Center’s leaders, in the coming time the Center will continue to closely coordinate with competent agencies to urgently remedy the incident, while researching and proposing long-term solutions to ensure durability and to preserve the values of the Complex of Hue Monuments in general.
By L. MINH - N. MINH