Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called on central provinces to take all emergency measures necessary to safeguard the lives of local residents and to minimise human and property losses as rising floodwaters caused by a spell of heavy rain continues to batter the region.
In an urgent telegram sent on October 8, PM Phuc requested an immediate evacuation of local residents in areas affected by flooding, especially those that are coastal, low-lying, or downstream places, to higher ground. Forceful action will be taken if necessary in order to ensure the safety of local citizens, the telegram says.
The Government leader requested flood-hit localities to continue searching for missing individuals, provide support for the bereaved, and arrange temporary shelter for displaced people in an effort to ensure that no one is left hunger or cold.
PM Phuc asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Vietnam Electricity to come together to safely operate irrigation and hydropower dams in order to avoid flooding in downstream localities.
He also asked the Ministry of Defense and other relevant agencies to deploy forces aimed at supporting the evacuation and relocation of people out of dangerous areas in all circumstances.
Heavy rain caused by a tropical low depression has lashed central provinces since October 6, triggering water levels in many major regional rivers to rapidly swell, leaving severe flooding in many places and disrupting traffic throughout the region. Rainfall of between 300mm and 500mm, even up to 900mm, was recorded in several central provinces, especially Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
According to preliminary reports, the disasters have left four dead and 7 others missing. Nearly 11,000 people, mostly in Quang Tri province, have been evacuated from flood-prone areas. As many as 37 communes have been isolated by floodwaters.
Torrential downpours are forecast to batter the central region over the course of the coming days, with another tropical low depression likely to form in the East Sea and hit the region again. Therefore, mountainous and low-lying areas have been warned about the threat of flashfloods and landslides.
