The Ministry of Construction has issued an official directive requesting Ho Chi Minh City authorities to provide a full report on the case of hundreds of apartments at Diamond Riverside condominium (Ward 16, District 8) developing wall cracks and peeling floor tiles, allegedly due to seismic tremors caused by a recent earthquake.

The Ministry also urged the city to conduct a comprehensive review of all apartment buildings in the area with respect to earthquake resistance and safety protocols.

The concerns follow a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with tremors reportedly felt across Vietnam. Residents in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong described sensations of dizziness and buildings shaking, especially those living in high-rise buildings.

In Ho Chi Minh City, over 300 households living at Diamond Riverside reported that their walls had cracked and tiles had lifted just hours after the quake in Myanmar.

Le Van Thinh, former Head of Quality Management Division 1 at the State Authority for Construction Quality Inspection (Ministry of Construction), noted that earthquake-resistant design is a mandatory requirement for ensuring building safety in Vietnam, especially in geologically unstable areas.

He emphasized that these standards are not only enshrined in Vietnamese law, but are also technical safeguards meant to protect human life and building integrity in the event of seismic activity.

Hong Khanh