Authorities handle a dike breach in Hồng Phong Commune, Thanh Miện District in Hải Dương Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Minh

HÀ NỘI — Provinces and cities in northern region are gradually being restored and getting back to normal, following the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi and subsequent flooding.

Water levels of the Thái Bình and Kinh Thầy rivers are falling, according to the Hải Dương Province Hydrometeorological Centre.

Up to now, all households have returned to their old residences, cleaned up their houses and begun tidying up the local environment.

Along the Luộc River, farmers reinforced cages and rafts to prepare for production to resume.

The provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue, withdrew alert level three on some downstream rivers on Monday morning. 

The committee requested Tứ Kỳ and Thanh Hà districts, Kinh Môn Town to patrol and guard the dikes according to alert level two, especially embankments, sluices, lagoons, ponds and low-lying fields, to promptly detect and handle any damage. 

Irrigation companies will work with the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and local authorities to strictly implement the pumping and drainage according to the province's and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's directions. 

By Sunday afternoon, Hải Dương Province resolved all 269 dike breaches and 228 irrigation system incidents. 

Earlier, to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, the provincial authorities had evacuated 4,447 households with over 10,600 people.

As many as 113 out of 166 pumping stations are operating to drain water, 54 of which are pumping into the Bắc Hưng Hải irrigation system and 59 others draining into other rivers.

Schools opened 

The provincial Department of Education and Training said on Monday that 520 schools in Lào Cai Province resumed teaching after the typhoon, while 78 have still not restarted, accounting for about 13 per cent. 

Bảo Yên District suffered the most damage with 55 schools unable to re-open, accounting for over 80 per cent of the schools in the district.

High school students returned to class with a relatively high attendance rate on Monday morning, estimated at over 96 per cent.

The only school with low attendance rate was Bảo Yên High School No 3 with 431 out of 486 students (55 students absent) because Tân Tiến Commune was still isolated, making travel very difficult.

Two schools were severely damaged, namely the Bát Xát District Junior Secondary School and High School, which experienced landslides that collapsed 16 boarding rooms for students.

The classrooms need to be inspected and evaluated by the education authority before students can return to school.

The Bảo Yên High School No 1 was flooded with water and mud. Books and teaching equipment were damaged and with conditions still not safe for learning,  the return to school date was postponed to Wednesday.

As for Bảo Yên District, 55 out of 68 schools plan to start school next week because these schools are located on areas that are difficult to access due to landslides.

Many families of students and teachers are also facing difficulties in overcoming the consequences of the typhoon.

The education sector has directed schools to actively clean classrooms and ensure the necessary conditions for teaching and learning to return to normal. At the same time, it has encouraged affected staff and teachers to return to their usual school timetable. 

By last Saturday, Lào Cai Province had 35 students dead and missing, and 15 had been injured due to Typhoon Yagi. 

More than 600 families of teachers and education staff and 25 families of students were affected. 

Bảo Yên District alone had 25 students dead, of which 23 were in Nủ Village, Phúc Khánh Commune, and 410 families of teachers suffered losses. — VNS