"Villagers blame Chinese potash mine for massive sinkhole in central Laos" 5 December 2024

A massive sinkhole that opened up in a rice paddy in central Laos’ Khammouane province was likely caused by excavation at a Chinese-owned potash mine, residents said Thursday.

Residents of Thakhaek district’s Pakpeng village discovered a 20-meter (65-foot) wide, 10-meter (33-foot) deep sinkhole on their farmland, located around 800 meters (half a mile) away from area residences...

Pakpeng villagers told RFA Laos they believe the hole was formed due to excavation at a nearby concession leased by China’s Sino-Agri Mining Development Company Limited, which operates a mine at the site...

On Wednesday, a delegation of officials from the Khammouane province Department of Energy and Mines, led by provincial governor Vanxay Phongsavanh, and Sino-Agri representatives visited the site for an initial investigation, but no conclusions were reached regarding what caused the pit to form...

A Thakhaek district official, who also declined to be named, told RFA that an investigation is ongoing, but acknowledged that the nearby potash mine may have had a role in the collapse.