Erosion occurred at the Cổ Chiên River in Long Hồ District’s Hoà Ninh Commune on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo Lê Thuý Hằng

VĨNH LONG — Local authorities in Vĩnh Long Province are taking measures in the aftermath of erosion on the Cổ Chiên River in Long Hồ District to support affected households.

On Monday afternoon, along more than 500m of the bank of the river in Hoà Ninh Commune, erosion destroyed as much as 200m into the land, causing 13 houses, a warehouse, an excavator and about 10ha of orchards to fall into the river. Two fishing ponds were also completely damaged.

The erosion case is estimated to have caused a total damage of VNĐ35 billion (US$1.5 million). There were no casualties.

Erosion at the area is still occurring.

Hồ Thế Nhu, head of the district's Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, said after the erosion, the district's Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue and Hoà Ninh Commune’s local authorities visited the eroded area and took measures to help the affected residents.

The commune mobilised local army forces, police and other human sources to help affected households to move to safe areas.

Twenty-one households with nearly 90 people in the eroded area were moved to safe areas as of Tuesday.

Local authorities have installed barriers at the eroded area and warned people not to enter it.

They have also stationed people to monitor the erosion situation to promptly solve further erosion cases.

On Tuesday, a group of leaders of the provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue and the Long Hồ District People’s Committee inspected the eroded area.

The group also visited the affected households and presented each household with VNĐ2 million ($80) and essential food and items.

On Tuesday, leaders of the provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee and Fatherland Front Committee visited affected households and gave each household VNĐ8 million ($330).

Lưu Văn Nhuận, head of the office of the provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue, said the Steering Committee, in co-operation with local authorities, has moved households in the eroded area to a safe area to temporarily stabilise their lives.

Erosion is still occurring and can not be solved immediately, so it is necessary to continue monitoring and evaluating the situation to have sustainable measures, he said. — VNS