A landslide at Bảo Lộc Pass in Lâm Đồng Central Highlands province. — VNA/VNS Photo Chu Quốc Hùng

LÂM ĐỒNG — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Monday asked concerned organisations for measures to overcome damages of natural disasters in Central Highlands and southern provinces recently, especially in Lâm Đồng, Bình Thuận, Bình Phước and Kiên Giang provinces.

In an official letter PM Chính requested the chairman of the Lâm Đồng Province People's Committee to quickly repair the damage from landslides at Bảo Lộc Pass, encourage and support the victims’ families, and identify causes and lessons learned after the incidents.

Lâm Đồng Province should review and promptly handle areas at risk of landslides, and have a plan to ensure traffic safety across the province.

The Ministry of Transport is responsible for coordinating with localities, especially Lâm Đồng Province, in immediately overcoming landslides and deep-flooded locations.

The ministry must have specific measures to ensure traffic safety on national highways and main traffic axes, especially the Dầu Giây-Phan Thiết Expressway and the National Highway 20 in Lâm Đồng Province.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was asked to supervise and improve the natural disaster forecasting and warning system, especially for floods and landslides.

It should provide information for response work.

The duty of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade is to ensure the safety of reservoirs, dams and hydropower plants.

The National Committee for Disaster Response, Search and Rescue, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security must closely work with other ministries and localities to carry out responses and search and rescue work.

The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control will urge provinces to carry out preventive work, overcoming consequences and limiting damages.

Heavy rain lasted from early Sunday morning, causing landslides and serious traffic jams on the Bảo Lộc Pass in Lâm Đồng Province.

Three traffic policemen and one resident were buried in the landslides, and many vehicles were also damaged.

At about 10pm on the same day, rescuers found the bodies of three victims. They are major Nguyễn Khắc Thường, 42, lieutenant Lê Quang Thành, 46 and lieutenant Lê Ánh Sáng, 33.

The rescue force is continuing to search for a resident named Ngọc Anh, a soldier who had been discharged from military service.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that rain in Central Highlands and southern provinces would last for many days more.

Preventive work

Nguyễn Hữu Phước, deputy chairman of the Tánh Linh District People’s Committee in Bình Thuận Province, said that the district sent urgent documents to agencies, communes and towns to ask for responding to floods.

Concerned units were asked to closely monitor problems arising in the flood prevention and control work on the La Ngà River and other small rivers and streams in the area.

Organisations maintain on duty all days, monitoring flood developments for timely direction.

Local people are not allowed to cross rivers for farming or fishing in some localities such as Đồng Kho, La Ngâu, Đức Bình and Gia An communes.

They are also advised not to go to areas at risk of landslides including Tà Pứa, Đức Thuận, Suối Kiết and Lạc Tánh communes.

Uncompleted statistics showed that from last Tuesday to Sunday, Tánh Linh District experienced heavy rain over a large area, tornadoes and landslides.

The total damage caused by natural disasters in the district was more than VNĐ32 billion (US$1.3 million) and one person died due to slipping while walking on the fields.

The floods submerged 28 houses in Suối Kiết and Gia Huynh communes, mor than 1,200ha of rice in Đức Phú, Nghị Đức, Măng Tố and Bắc Ruộng communes.

It also submerged five aquatic product-raising ponds in Gia An Commune.

In An Giang province, heavy rains in Tri Tôn and Thoại Sơn districts damaged nine houses and submerged more than 400ha of farm products.

To overcome the damages, the provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control assigned police and military forces to help local people to fix problems and stabilise their life. — VNS