VIENTIANE, Laos (Laotian Times): Four people remain missing after a sinkhole collapsed in Thongmang Village, Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital, on 2 January, with authorities confirming it is the fifth such incident in the area since May 2025.
The sinkhole, several metres wide and deep, opened suddenly in a residential area and is linked to underground potash salt extraction and tunnel construction carried out by a company operating nearby.
Authorities ordered the company to halt its operations in July 2025. Since early May, the firm has worked on ground stabilisation and mitigation measures to address ongoing subsidence risks.
Officials said four earlier sinkholes occurred in the same area between 4 May 2025 and early January, none of which resulted in fatalities. The latest collapse marks the first incident involving missing persons.
On 8 January, Director of the Department of Geology and Mines Yong Sidavong, accompanied by relevant officials, provided an update on the situation. Experts identified two risk zones around the affected site.
The second zone, located on the right side of the collapse area, has been classified as high risk. Authorities have already relocated around 30 families from this zone as a precaution.
The first zone, on the left side, remains under warning status and continues to be monitored and managed by the company under official supervision. -- Laotian Times
