Quarry ordered to suspend operations

Environmental authorities in the central province of Thanh Hoa have ordered a stone quarry to stop operating after dynamite used to loosen rocks damaged dozens of houses in Dien Lu commune.

Report on the order has been submitted to the provincial Peoples's Committee.

Thanh Hoa-based company Anh Tuan has reportedly used dynamite at the quarry, located dozens of metres from the residential area, since 2004.

Blasts used to crush stones have broken roof tiles and cracked walls. Sometimes stones flew off and hit people, said Dien Giang village resident Le Thi Tam.

"Every time before the dynamite explodes, the company sends their workers driving along the village's roads to call us to get out of our houses and find a hiding place. We have to run for our lives just like in wartime," Tam said.

Dien Giang villagers have reported the blasts to the Dien Lu commune People's Committee for almost a decade, but the committee did nothing.

Ba Thuoc commune's Division of Environment and Natural Resources reported to the local People's Committee that the company's quarry license was expired and told the company to cease all operations at the quarry, said division head Nguyen Van Toan.

"Anh Tuan company was found to have been illegally running the quarry after their license expired in 2013," he said.

Company CEO Nguyen Thi Oanh admitted that dynamite blasts damaged houses.

"We went to check every house and provided approximately VND150 million (US$7,200) in compensation," she said.