Flood water submerges houses in Trà Lĩnh Town, Trùng Khánh District, the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng. — VNA/VNS Photo Chu Hiệu

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has urged local authorities to prioritise responses to floods, landslides, and flash floods in the northern region.

In Official Dispatch No. 78/CĐ-TTg, PM Chính emphasises that since July, the northern and north central regions have endured prolonged periods of heavy rainfall across extensive areas, resulting in landslides and deep, flash floods in numerous locations.

These events have caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure, severely impacting production and people's lives.

According to forecasts from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, heavy rain is expected in the north from now until Thursday, with total rainfall ranging from 100 to 250mm, and in some areas exceeding 400mm.

To proactively address potential heavy rains, floods, landslides, and flash floods, the PM requests that ministries, provinces, and cities rigorously implement his directives in Official Dispatch No. 75/CĐ-TTg, issued on August 3rd, to ensure the utmost safety of residents and minimise property damage.

Localities, including Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, Hòa Bình, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Phú Thọ, Cao Bằng, Bắc Kạn, Thái Nguyên, Lạng Sơn, Bắc Giang, Bắc Ninh, Quảng Ninh, Vĩnh Phúc, Hà Nội, Hà Nam, Hải Phòng, Nam Định, Ninh Bình, Thái Bình, Thanh Hóa, and Nghệ An, must conduct thorough inspections of residential areas, promptly identifying those at risk of insecurity and deep inundation. They should deploy personnel and resources to evacuate people from dangerous areas decisively.

Provinces and cities should closely monitor the progression of natural disasters and floods in their regions, effectively direct and deploy response measures, and manage and guide traffic during floods, particularly in areas susceptible to landslides and deep water.

Localities are responsible for arranging personnel, food, and essentials in vulnerable areas at risk of isolation during natural disasters, ensuring readiness for rescue operations and support for affected people.

In situations that exceed local response capabilities, authorities can request support in accordance with regulations.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment is to instruct weather forecasting agencies to closely monitor the development of floods and rains and inform localities and the public to implement response measures.

Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, and Transport must ensure the safety of dams and reservoirs and rapidly address incidents across major traffic routes.

The Ministers of Defence and Public Security are directed to mobilise armed forces for search and rescue operations as requested by local authorities. Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development must continuously monitor the situation, direct localities to implement appropriate response measures, and swiftly report to the PM any issues beyond the ministers’ authority.

Deputy PM Trần Lưu Quang has been assigned to directly coordinate ministries, sectors, and localities in these efforts. — VNS