PM requests extra efforts to cope with floods in central region

Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a dispatch requiring that ministries, sectors, and localities focus resources on dealing with floods and heavy rains that had left five dead and six missing in the central region as of the morning of October 8.

Torrential rains have hit the central region since October 6, with the highest rainfall of 700-900mm recorded in Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

Heavy downpours are forecast to continue in the coming days, posing a high risk of flash floods, landslides, and rising waters in many places, especially Huong Hoa, Dak Rong, Hai Lang, and Trieu Phong districts in Quang Tri, Quang Nam province’s Dai Loc and Duy Xuyen districts, Phong Dien district in Thua Thien-Hue, and Minh Hoa district in Quang Binh province.

The Prime Minister asked People’s Committees in coastal localities from Ha Tinh to Phu Yen and in the Central Highlands to keep a close watch on developments to take prompt measures in response.

Attention should be paid to evacuating people from dangerous areas and assisting them with temporary accommodation and food, he stressed.

People’s Committees were urged to take measures to consolidate dykes and reservoirs and intensify supervision to ensure the safe operation of reservoirs.

The Ministries of National Defence and Public Security are required to prepare to support local people in dealing with heavy rains and floods and overcoming the consequences, while the Ministry of Transport was asked to ensure the safety of vessels and vehicles as well as of roads, waterways, and railways in affected areas.

The Government leader also asked the Health Ministry to guide localities on how to implement measures to prevent the spread of diseases, especially COVID-19, at evacuation areas, and provide necessary drugs and chemicals for affected localities.

The Ministry of Education and Training should take measures to ensure safety for teachers and students and minimise any loss of infrastructure or teaching tools and equipment.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to direct the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to keep a close watch on rain and flood developments to provide accurate forecasts to the mass media and related offices, keeping the public informed, Phuc requested./.