Flood-battered Thanh Hóa seeks Government help

THANH HÓA — Faced with a massive flood clean-up effort, the central province of Thanh Hóa has sought Government assistance.

It has asked for medicines, protective clothing, 20,000 litres of disinfectants and 20,000 doses of vaccines against foot and mouth disease.

The local Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue said the province also needs 1,200 tonnes of potatoes, 300 tonnes of maize and 500 tonnes of rice to restore agricultural production.

Besides, Thanh Hóa has asked for funds to urgently repair damaged roads, irrigation works, reservoirs, and dykes and embankments along the Chu, Mã and Lèn rivers.

According to the Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue’s report, heavy rains have caused severe damage through flooding and landslides in many places, with at least two people killed and another missing.

Ten houses were destroyed with another 5,368 inundated.

Thousands of hectares of rice and other crops and aquaculture farms were destroyed, with nearly 13,500 livestock and poultry dying, causing great financial losses.

Authorities have mobilised the army to search for missing persons, help affected people and repair infrastructure.

According to the Centre for Hydrometeorology Forecast, water levels in rivers in Nghệ An and Thanh Hóa provinces are continuing to go down though they are continuing to rise in the Thương and Cả rivers, putting the two provinces at high risk of landslides and flash floods. — VNS