Vietnam suffering from reliance on coal

Ho Chi Minh City

COAL miner Pham Van Tuyen and his family narrowly escaped through a window as floodwaters and slurry inundated their home in north-eastern Vietnam last month. After surviving Quang Ninh province's worst torrential rains in four decades, the Tuyens still face lingering danger.

Toxic run-off from the open-pit mine left a trail of contamination, from streams near the Tuyens' home to the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose islets attract more than one million visitors a year.