Police of Tuy Phước District, Bình Định Province evacuate people in flooded areas. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called for further measures to respond to and overcome flooding after heavy rain caused significant damage in the central and Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) regions.

In the official dispatch released by the Government Office on Monday, the Government leader requested the chairs of the people's committees of affected provinces Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Đắk Lắk to implement measures after the regions were hit by heavy rain.

The PM also called on the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the National Committee for Incident and Disaster Response, Search and Rescue, ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Transport, Natural Resources and Environment, National Defence, and Public Security to direct the response to the natural disaster.

As more flooding and landslides are forecast, the Prime Minister asked ministers and chairs of the provincial people's committees to focus on response measures and ensure the safety of residents, while minimising damage to property.

The Prime Minister requested local authorities to closely monitor the weather status, direct grassroots-level rescue forces to inspect, review and promptly evacuate residents, especially in deeply flooded areas.

It was necessary to pay attention to ensuring pandemic prevention measures, while food and necessities should be handed out to people living in evacuation sites.

In the past few days, heavy rains hit the central and Central Highlands regions, with the total amount of rainfall in some places over 800mm. 

Flooding and landslides were reported in many locations, causing traffic congestion. Some people were swept away by floods and tens of thousands of households were inundated, especially in the provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên.

Six people in Phú Yên Province have died after floods hit the central and Central Highlands regions, bringing the total deaths to 10 by Wednesday morning, while more than 640ha of rice, 416ha of vegetables, and 2,800 poultry were destroyed by the bad weather, the Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search-Rescue reported.

Phú Yên Province, the heavily damaged locality, on Wednesday morning also reported more than 28,000 houses were submerged mainly in Tuy Hòa District (over 20,800 houses), and in Phú Hoà District (6,300 houses).

As of Wednesday morning, many inter-provincial, district and commune roads were still flooded with water reaching 0.4m-1.5m.

Police forces and authorities of Sơn Hòa, Sông Hinh, Phú Hòa, Tuy An districts and Tuy Hòa City have evacuated more than 18,500 people to safety.

At a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on Wednesday morning, deputy head of the committee Lê Minh Hoan asked authorities of Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hoà and Gia Lai provinces to promptly implement the dispatches of the PM and the committee to take measures to cope with floods and landslides, ensuring safety for people, boats, aquaculture and livestock breeding farms, and dam systems.

They were instructed to proactively evacuate residents out of flooded areas and prepare materials, human resources and vehicles for rescue work when needed.

Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of Bình Định Province Nguyễn Tự Công Hoàng reported that the provincial authorities had guided relevant agencies about specific flood prevention and control measures and evacuated people from high risk areas. VNS