After consecutive downpours early this month, a resettlement area in Lam Dong Province, originally built to help residents avoid landslides, has been struck by severe erosion, with cracks appearing near house foundations and dozens of families living in fear.
The K'No 5 resettlement area in Dam Rong 4 Commune, Lam Dong Province, located along the Dong Truong Son road, is now surrounded by landslide points stretching from hilltops down to the valley.
Aerial views clearly show long ruptures and cracks along the uphill talus slopes, with coffee trees buried under the soil.
Large cracks have also appeared in residential zones. Foundations of many houses are splitting, forcing residents to cover them with temporary materials to prevent water seepage.
"The soil is collapsing fast, coming right up to the house wall, so I had to buy cement and materials to reinforce the ground.
"When it rains, we cover everything with plastic sheets to keep it dry. There are six of us, and if anything happens at night, we don't know what to do," said Ha Trung of K'No 5 Hamlet.
A few houses away, the auxiliary structure of K Long K Ri's home was pulled down by a landslide, dislodging its foundation.
According to K Long K Ri, the erosion began in early October after the construction unit began work on a water drainage canal.
Nearly 10 other homes in the area have been impacted, with soil eroding right up against the back walls, exposing foundations and internal structures.
Beneath the five-meter-high talus slope is a basin area where construction is underway to level the ground and build drainage ditches.
Surrounding the basin are homes of dozens of households who have lived there for the past three to four years.
According to Sa Rieng, a 53-year-old local resident, landslides have become severe only during this year's rainy season.
The K'No 5 resettlement project covers 15 hectares with a total investment of VND38 billion (US$1.4 million), aiming to accommodate residents from high-risk zones of the former Dung K'No Commune.
Phase one was completed in 2020, with infrastructure built and land handed over to 73 households to construct homes.
Currently, phase two is underway, including land leveling, road construction, drainage systems, electricity, water supply, and lighting, with a budget of nearly VND24 billion ($911,890).
The Lac Duong area construction investment project management board stated that talus slope erosion in the K'No 5 resettlement area worsened significantly during the 2025 rainy season.
The most severely affected section is around 80 meters long, with nearly 200 cubic meters of soil displaced. Five houses in the area are now considered structurally unsafe.
According to the board, the main cause is steep terrain combined with infrastructure built largely on filled soil, which becomes saturated during prolonged rainfall and prone to landslides.
The management board has coordinated with local authorities to urgently relocate nine affected households and is working with relevant agencies to assess and reinforce the entire area's infrastructure.
In addition to issuing warnings, the People's Committee of Dam Rong 4 Commune has proposed that the administration in Lam Dong Province allocate VND5 billion ($189,863) for emergency anti-landslide measures in the K'No 5 resettlement area to stabilize living conditions and ensure the safety of residents.