On August 4, the Offices of the Central Steering Committees for Disaster Response and the Search and Rescue issued a new telegraph, calling for an active response to the complex developments of floods and landslides in the region.
Accordingly, it is recommended that the local authorities of Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Bac Kan, Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen provinces, as well as the relevant units and agencies, closely monitor the flash flood and landslide situation to timely inform the local governments and people to take active prevention.
Local forces strengthen their efforts to search for the bodies of the dead and missing people in a landslide in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province on August 3.
The Central Steering Committee for Disaster Response also asked Hoa Binh and Son La Hydropower Companies to discharge their reservoirs to ease flood pressure on August 5. Previously, Tuyen Quang Hydropower Plant opened one sluice gate to discharge water from Tuyen Quang reservoir yesterday.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, over the past few days, the water flow to Lai Chau and Son La reservoirs has increased rapidly. From August 5 to 6, floods are likely to appear upstream of Da, Thao and Lo Rivers, with a flood amplitude from 2-4m, triggering risks of flash floods and landslides in the northern mountainous area.
On Sunday, due to the influence of the low pressure in the North, the regional provinces and cities continue to suffer heavy rains. The districts of Muong Te and Sin Ho (Lai Chau province), as well as Dien Bien and Muong Nhe (Dien Bien province), have been warned of floods and landslides.
Heavy rain affected traffic and flooded crops in Quang Uyen district, Cao Bang province.
Locales affected by the recent floods have been asked to cooperate with the relevant agencies to boost environmental sanitation work to prevent epidemics spreading in the areas where the flood water has receded, while ensuring stable production and people's lives.
Previously, heavy rains on Saturday morning flooded 2km long of National Highway 18 crossing Quang Hanh ward of Cam Pha city (Quang Ninh province). Hundreds of cars have to travel slowly through the flooded roads. Meanwhile, in Quang Hanh’s residential areas No. 10A and 10B, dozens of households were inundated, causing damage to property. Notably, 30 households were ordered to evacuate urgently.
The same day, some areas in Lao Cai province suffered torrential rains with rainfall ranging from 24.8-97 mm, leading to sudden high flood in the Red and Chay Rivers.
In Van Ho district, Son La province, the local forces have timely evacuated people out of the landslide and flooding areas to safe places. The district has directed the communes concerned to verify and report damages to the district authorities to analyse and develop plans to support the affected people.
Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai (C) visits locals who suffered from flood in Hanoi’s Chuong My district on August 4. More than 3,500 local households in the three communes of Nam Phuong Tien, Hoang Van Thu and Tan Tien are submerged in depths of 0.5-1.5m, forcing over 6,000 people to be evacuated.
Hoa Binh province has issued an urgent telegraph to request that the local departments and localities actively respond to the development of dangerous weather caused by rains and floods, with the main priority to ensure the safety of lives and property of local people, focusing on residential areas and traffic roads which suffered from the previous flash floods and landslides.
The prolonged heavy rains and floods in recent days has worsened the landslide along Ma River crossing Cam Van and Cam Tan communes in Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province, threatening the agricultural land of local people.
Flash flood washes away Na Rai Bridge in Hoong 1 village, Truong Ha commune, Ha Quang district (Cao Bang).
Meanwhile, in the central city of Da Nang, long-lasting rains have completely destroyed over 30ha of watermelons, with an estimated yield of nearly 600 tonnes, in around 100 farmers’ households in Truong Dinh village (Hoa Lien commune).
Not only in the North, flooding in the Mekong Delta has also witnessed complex developments. The water level on the Mekong River is expected to rise in the next days.
Heavy rains also flooded more than 3,000 ha of summer-autumn rice crop and nearly 5,500 ha of 2018 winter-autumn paddle fields in Tan Hiep district, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
