In his dispatch, he emphasised that floods and landslides triggered by
torrential rains over the past month in the central and Central Highlands
regions, particularly Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Tri provinces, claimed several
lives and left dozens of other missing.
He added the landslides early this week killed 13 officials and soldiers at
Ranger Station 67, and two construction workers and left 15 others missing at
Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant in Thua Thien – Hue province. Moreover, a landslide
occurred early October 18 in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, which
buried 22 officers and soldiers of Defence – Economic Division 337 under
Military Region 4.
Also in the dispatch, the PM extended his deepest condolences to the families of
the officials and soldiers sacrificed during their rescue operations, as well as
his sympathy to the families of those who are still missing.
Heavy rain is predicted to last in the coming days, posing a high risk of
landslides and flash floods in the central and Central Highlands regions. To
protect the life and properties of residents, the PM asked the Ministry of
Defence, the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to
instruct Military Region 4 and relevant units to mobilise all resources and
equipment to search and rescue workers who lost contact at the Rao Trang 3
hydropower plant and soldiers buried by a landslide in Huong Hoa district, while
ensuring safety for rescue forces.
The ministries of Transport and Public Security and the People’s Committees of
Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Tri were asked to mobilise all equipment and
resources to join efforts with the Ministry of Defence and Military Region 4 to
fix road to in the affected areas so that machineries and means of transport are
brought to assist the rescue work in the landslide scenes.
Meanwhile, localities were also asked to promptly assist state policy
beneficiaries, and families of natural disaster victims, as well as those
affected by natural disasters.
The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control is
responsible for keeping a close watch on flood developments in order to adopt
response measures.
Also the same day, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung and his working delegation made a
field trip to Quang Tri province to instruct the settlement of the consequences
of floods.
He visited local residents in Thanh An commune, Cam Lo district.
During his meeting Cam Lo authorities, Dung conveyed PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s condolences to
the people in the central region in general and to those in Quang Tri in
particular, especially the relatives of the flood victims.
He praised efforts of rescue forces and asked them to prioritise searching and
rescuing soldiers buried by a landslide in Huong Hoa district.
As of 4:45 pm of October 18, 14 bodies of 22 soldiers buried by
a landslide earlier the same day in Huong Hoa district had been found.
Source: VNA