280 stranded tourists in Co To brought back mainland

Border guard soldiers are helping transfer a child from a ship to the shore (Source: VNA)

The plan to bring all tourists on the island back to the mainland was not possible due to bad weather, Nam said.
Early the day, the Naval High Command and the Quang Ninh provincial authorities sent a naval vessel to Co To Island to transport visitors who have been stranded on the island since last weekend due to torrential rains. 

According to Nam, the ship will transport the remaining 1,200 tourists to the mainland on July 31 if the weather improves.

All visitors were provided free diner and rooms on the night of July 30, Nam said.

Torrential rainfall of up to 824 millimetres inundated the province, including Co To, between July 26 and 29, killing 17 people and leaving six missing. More than 3,900 houses collapsed, causing an estimated loss of more than 1 trillion VND (46 million USD).

While chairing an online meeting with chapters of the Central Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control in localities from central Ha Tinh province to the north on July 30, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat asked Quang Ninh provincial authorities to intensify measures to overcome consequences caused by rains and floods and seek ways to bring visitors to the mainland as soon as possible.

Measures to cope with complicated flood and rain forecast in the coming days were also discussed at the event.

The Minister requested localities keep a close watch on information and weather forecasts and inspect areas vulnerable to floods and landslides to prepare evacuation plans.

He stressed the need to check operations and water levels of reservoirs and take measures to prevent flooding in agricultural production areas and ensure drainage in urban zones.

The same day, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control under the National Committee for Search and Rescue issued a public notice requiring its local chapters from central Ha Tinh province to the north, and the Ministries of Agricultural and Rural Development, Transportation, Health, and Industry and Trade to swiftly surmount flood consequences in Quang Ninh.

According to the Central Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre, northern and central northern provinces are likely to experience lasting heavy rain coming days. Flash floods and landslides are forecast to occur in mountainous areas.

Coastal localities will need to update ships operating offshore of the Gulf of Tonkin on weather developments to enable them to find safe shelter when necessary.

The notice asked localities, especially those vulnerable to the storms, to arrange forces and equipment for rescue in case of need.-VNA