Lai Chau (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung led a delegation to the flood-ravaged commune of Muong Than in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on July 21 to inspect recovery efforts.
On the ground, Dung offered his deepest condolences to families who lost loved ones or have relatives still missing, and expressed sympathy to households that lost homes and property. He urged victims to push forward, pledging that the Party, State and authorities at every level will stand with them and rally support from across the country to help them settle their lives as quickly as possible.
He ordered the military, police, health agencies, other forces and local authorities to keep searching for the missing, treat the injured and ensure proper funerals for the dead. He also called on the entire political system, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organisations to support bereaved families and provide temporary shelter, food, drinking water and clothing for those who lost homes and belongings.
Ministries and agencies were directed to coordinate with Lai Chau authorities to reopen roads, clean up the environment and prevent disease outbreaks.
At a resettlement site in San Bay village set aside for 24 households whose homes were wiped out, he instructed Military Region 2 and the provincial Military Command to speed up construction so displaced residents can move into new homes as quickly as possible.
During a working session with provincial authorities, the Deputy PM stressed that building new homes for affected families is the immediate priority, calling it a key order from the PM aimed at restoring normal life at the earliest possible time.
Drawing lessons from the disaster, Dung tasked Lai Chau with drafting practical, detailed disaster-response scenarios, mapping landslide-prone areas and preparing evacuation plans for different rainfall levels. The goal, he said, is a swift response to emergencies with the protection of lives and property coming first.
Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Ha Quang Trung said the July 17 flash flood in Muong Than commune directly hit 899 households, or 4,263 people, across several villages.
He proposed that the PM and ministries provide about 500 billion VND (19 million USD) in assistance, including an emergency release of 300 billion VND from the 2026 central budget contingency fund. He also pledged that the locality will manage and use the funding transparently, effectively and for its intended purposes.
The Government has already allocated 50 billion VND from the central budget contingency fund to support Lai Chau's recovery. The province has provided an initial compensation of 25 million VND for each fatality.
To date, flash floods and debris flows in Muong Than have left seven dead, one missing and 10 injured. Around 200 households have suffered housing damage, including 24 whose homes were destroyed, 20 beyond repair and 156 directly in the flash flood zone that need to be relocated to safer ground.
About 300 ha of rice paddies, crops and aquaculture were buried or washed away by mud and rock, leaving almost no chance of recovery. Transport infrastructure also sustained heavy damage, while household belongings, food supplies and other property were buried or destroyed by the floods and landslides.
Total losses in the commune are estimated at 190 billion VND, statistics show./.
