Strong winds and strong waves cause ships at the Liên Thành Village storm shelter to collide with each other and break apart in Hà Tĩnh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has instructed local authorities to maintain the highest level of mobilisation of military and police forces in recovery efforts after the destruction caused by Typhoon Kajiki, prioritising schools, healthcare facilities, disadvantaged groups and low-income households.

He said support must be provided as a matter of urgency to restore education and healthcare services, stabilising people’s lives.

Hà was speaking on Tuesday morning in Nghệ An Province, where he chaired an online meeting with heads of affected provinces and cities to assess the storm response, review the damage and direct follow-up measures in dealing with its after-effects.

Torrential rains and strong winds caused at least three deaths and injured 13 other people in Phú Thọ, Thái Nguyên, Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Trị provinces, as of 7am Tuesday.

The three people killed were in Ninh Bình, Nghệ An, and Hà Tĩnh and 13 others were injured across Phú Thọ, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Trị.

Rescue forces rescue a local resident from a flooded area in Thanh Hóa Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

The provinces of Quảng Trị, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and the city of Huế were urged to give particular attention to mountainous areas, stressing that preparedness for flash floods, mudslides and landslides must be even stronger than storm prevention, Hà said.

Local authorities were told to inspect densely populated areas along streams and rivers in order to take timely action, especially for the safe evacuation of residents.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment was directed to strictly oversee and intensify weather forecasting efforts, and to review all plans and scenarios for the operation of inter-reservoir systems to ensure safety.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà orders local authorities to prioritise to support families affected by the typhoon in Hà Tĩnh Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

Hà also said that this was the second storm to hit the East Sea since the two-tier local government came into operation.

Forecasting had been accurate, giving both central and local authorities sufficient time to implement response measures.

He praised provinces of Nghệ An, Thanh Hóa and Hà Tĩnh for their swift, timely and decisive action in handling the typhoon.

Reporting the situation to Hà, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp said the storm response had been rapid, decisive and in some respects unprecedented, with localities taking highly proactive measures.

He emphasised that disaster response in the future must be more specialised and professional within the two-tier local government system.

This requires detailed, scenario-based planning aligned with actual developments, appropriate force allocation, and especially measures to counter flash floods, mudslides and landslides in mountainous areas over the coming days as heavy rainfall continues.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Hiền, deputy minister of National Defence, called on provincial and city authorities to coordinate with the armed forces to accelerate recovery, ensure uninterrupted communications, and guarantee the supply of food and essential goods.

Lieutenant General Hà Thọ Bình, commander of Military Zone 4, confirmed that in the coming days, the zone will mobilise troops and equipment to repair damage caused by the typhoon, with particular focus on schools to restore conditions for teaching and learning, as well as on supporting policy beneficiaries and families of merit.

Also on Tuesday, faced with prolonged heavy rainfall from the typhoon, many localities in Phú Thọ Province proactively implemented evacuation and response measures to ensure public safety.

Authorities swiftly issued flood and landslide warnings and urged people to move to safe locations.

By Tuesday morning, nearly 200 households with more than 700 residents had been relocated from dangerous areas to safe shelters with the support and mobilisation of functional forces. — VNS