>>> PM orders swift landslide relief in Thua Thien Hue
The Deputy Prime Minister made the instruction at a working session on October 13 with the search and rescue steering team stationed in Phong Xuan commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue.
After receiving a phone call from a local resident about a landslide in the area of the Rao Trang 3 at noon on October 12, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Thien Dinh sent a 21-member strong team for search and rescue to the area, including local officials and military.
The team had to leave their cars on the road due to flood and continued on foot. They stopped at the Song Bo forest rangers’ office for the night but at 0 am on October 13, a landslide occurred, burying the house where the team were staying. Initial reports said eight managed to escaped, but 13 are still missing, including 11 army officers and two local leaders.
Besides, 17 workers at the power plant are also missing. The power plant is now isolated as roads leading to the plant are blocked after flooding has triggered many landslides.
Thua Thien Hue authorities and the Defence Ministry have sent military units and machinery to clear the roads leading to the sites of the landslides.
Two working groups led by Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Tan Cuong and deputy head of the Government Office Tran Van Son have arrived at the site to direct the effort.
The Rao Trang 3 hydro power plant is under construction.
* On the same day, the Hanoi chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) issued a communiqué during the 17th Party Congress of Hanoi, calling on the city’s people to support their compatriots in the central region which has been hit hard by flooding in recent days.
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Hanoi delegates donate to help flood victims in response to the call of the VFF. (Photo: NDO/Duy Linh)
Chairwoman of the VFF’s Hanoi chapter Nguyen Lan Huong urged officials, cadres, collectives, individuals, workers, armed forces, people from walks of life, businesses, and philanthropists to offer a helping hand to disaster-hit residents, contributing to restoring production and stabilising lives.
Donations can be sent to Hanoi’s relief fund run by the VFF’s Hanoi chapter or the headquarters of the chapter at 29 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue directed the provision of VND7 billion (US$305,000) from Hanoi’s relief fund to five hardest hit localities, including VND2 billion each to Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri and VND1 billion each to Quang Nam, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh.
Also on the day, permanent deputy chief of the Hanoi Coordination Office on New Rural Development, Nguyen Van Chi, said valuable agricultural products will be put up for auction at an event to popularise “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) products and the proceeds will be used to help flood victims in the central region.
The event will be held on the Trinh Cong Son pedestrian street in Hanoi’s Tay Ho district from October 29 to November 2. The auction is scheduled for October 30.
* On the same day, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh visited residents in Le Thuy and Quang Ninh districts, the central province of Quang Binh, which were hard hit by floods in recent days.
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Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh presents gifts to Lien Thuy Kindergarten. (Photo: VNA)
In Quang Ninh district, the Vice President handed over VND100 million (over US$4,310) to the mountainous commune of Truong Son to help it overcome the consequences of flooding. She also presented 60 gifts of essential goods to local poor households.
In Le Thuy district, Thinh granted VND100 million each to Lien Thuy and An Thuy communes, VND30 million to the kindergarten of Lien Thuy commune and 50 gifts to local people.
Also on October 13, the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) said the second batch of relief goods has been delivered to four central provinces – Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam – worth a total VND1.4 billion.
A working team of the VRC Central Committee will travel to Thua Thien Hue on October 14 to distribute the relief goods.
Earlier, the VRC sent the first batch of relief goods worth nearly VND500 million to Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Nam.
