Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà visits locals affected by heavy flooding in the central province of Thanh Hóa. — Photo chinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on Thursday led a delegation to review disaster relief efforts in the central Thanh Hóa Province, which has been impacted by storm-induced floods and landslides since early September.

While inspecting repair work at Nổ Thôn Sewerage, where structural damage since Tuesday has been posing a threat to a dike on the Mã River in Thanh Hóa, Deputy PM Hà praised the armed forces, militia and local residents for their early detection of risks at the site.

He also ordered an urgent assessment of the structural stability of the dikes along the Mã River.

Soliders work to repair the flood-induced damage at Nổ Thôn Sewerage on the left dike of Mã River in Thanh Hóa Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

During the trip, he visited students and teachers from the Lâm Phú Secondary School, which was damaged during construction due to storm impacts.

Local authorities have declared an emergency at the school and evacuated all 300 students to safety. They have since been temporarily relocated to the Lâm Phú Primary School, seven kilometres away from their original campus.

The Government leader applauded the proactive response of the province to alleviate the consequences of Typhoon Yagi and Storm Soulik, both of which hit the area after sweeping in from the East Sea in September.

“Regarding issues that exceed local authority, the central Government will continue its attention and support for urgent tasks to quickly stabilise local people’s lives," the Government leader said.

“Priority will be given to essential infrastructure such as transportation, education and health care.”

On the same day, Deputy PM Hà also visited and presented gifts to households affected by heavy flooding in the province’s Thạch Thành District.

Local authorities have been asked to arrange resettlement or develop flood-resistant residences for those affected by the disaster.

Since the beginning of September, Thanh Hóa Province has borne the impact of two consecutive storms, Yagi and Soulik, which have led to heavy downpours, flooding and erosion in multiple areas.

These disasters resulted in one death and two injured as well as various agricultural and infrastructure damage. The cost of the destruction from the flooding has not yet been fully estimated, as floods persist in the region.

Local authorities have mobilised all available resources to ensure social welfare and the recovery of infrastructure and businesses. — VNS