A talus above the A Luoi hydropower plant collapsed due to a broken
water pipe in Thua Thien-Hue Province, January 1, 2020.
Photo by VnExpress/Quang Tien. 

A broken pipe flooded a hydropower plant with water and mud in Thua Thien-Hue Province Friday, forcing it to shut down. 

The accident happened at around 8.40 a.m. at the 20 MW A Luoi hydropower plant in the central province's A Luoi District. Water, mud and rocks from a talus fell down into the plant, forcing it to cease operations.

Phan Thanh Hung, office chief of the Thua Thien-Hue Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, said the breach had taken place in an 11-km long pipe running from the reservoir.

There were no casualties, he added.

The Central Hydropower Joint Stock Company has closed the gates for receiving water from the reservoir. It has said that water flow from the reservoir to downstream areas towards Laos's Se Kong Province will be regulated at 50-100 cubic meters per second.

Authorities have warned people to stay away from the area.