Coal-caked home shows danger of Vietnam’s cheap power
After Quang Ninh province’s worst torrential rains in four decades, residents still face lingering danger. Toxic run-off from an open-pit coal mine left a trail of contamination, from local streams to the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose islets attract more than 1 million visitors a year.
The disaster is stoking criticism of Vietnam’s growing reliance on coal-fired electricity — a key driver of climate changes linked to freakish weather events like the one that flooded Tuyen’s home and killed 17 other locals in late July.
