Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang leads a team to direct the search for victims at the scene of a serious landslide that buried four people on Bảo Lộc Pass on Monday morning.— VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dũng

LÂM ĐỒNG — Đồng Nai 2 Hydropower Plant was set to discharge water from its reservoir yesterday afternoon in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng.

The move is believed to increase the risk of flooding in downstream areas while torrential rains are still hitting the province.

The provincial People’s Committee said that on Monday morning, the water was pouring into the reservoir of the plant with a flow of 297 cu.m per second while the water flow to generate power is 110 cu.m per second.

In response to the situation, the plant decided to discharge the water to reduce the level of the reservoir.

The committee asked local media and authorised agencies to inform people living in downstream areas to coordinate and proactively prevent possible unfortunate damages due to the discharge of water.

According to the province’s Hydro-meteorological Station, the total rainfall from Sunday to 8 am on Monday in the province was about 70 mm.

The soils in some areas in Bảo Lộc City and the districts of Bảo Lâm, Đạ Hoai, Đạ Tẻh, Cát Tiên have reached saturation.

Therefore, the station said districts of Bảo Lâm, Đạ Huoai, Đạ Tẻh, Cát Tiên, Đam Rông, Di Linh, and Bảo Lộc City are put on high alert of flash floods, landslides and inundation in the next 12 hours.

Flood warnings were issued along the La Ngà River in the province due to the torrential rain. 

A quick report from the provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue said that three traffic policemen and one resident were buried and many vehicles were also damaged in a landslide in the province on Sunday afternoon.

So far, local rescuers found the bodies of three victims.

Also on Monday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang led a team to direct the search for victims at the scene of a serious landslide that buried four people on Bảo Lộc Pass. — VNS