Military officers assist residents in flooded regions with evacuations. Photo chinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — The General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army has ordered all military units to maintain the highest level of readiness and mobilise maximum personnel and equipment to support flood-affected localities in central Việt Nam, as severe flooding continues to devastate the region.

The directive, issued on October 29, follows Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s call for urgent and coordinated emergency response and recovery measures. It instructs all units to assist in evacuating residents from high-risk areas, deliver food and essential supplies to isolated communities, and remain ready to carry out search-and-rescue operations, including air transport of relief goods when commanded by the Ministry of National Defence.

Military Regions 4 and 5 have been tasked with coordinating with provincial authorities to operate 24-hour hotlines and deploy forces to the hardest-hit localities. Troops have been ordered to clear debris, repair infrastructure and restore sanitation in critical areas such as hospitals, schools, administrative offices and residential zones.

The Air Defence–Air Force Service and Corps 18 are on standby for aerial rescue missions, while the Chemical Corps and Military Medical Department are working with local authorities to disinfect flooded areas and prevent post-disaster epidemics. Meanwhile, the Signal Corps and Viettel Military Industry and Telecommunications Group are ensuring stable communications for government directives, and the Navy, Coast Guard and Border Guard are mobilising ships and vehicles for rescue operations and logistics support.

The General Departments of Logistics, Technology, and Defence Industry, along with Military Intelligence (General Department 2), have been instructed to ensure the safety of weapon depots, maintain technical readiness, and guarantee the timely delivery of rescue equipment to affected regions.

Trains carrying rocks crossing Bạch Hổ Bridge in Huế city to reinforce the bridge as great floods come in through Hương River. VNA/VNS Photo

In Huế, the military and transport sectors are reinforcing key infrastructure to withstand the rising floodwaters. On the night of October 29, the railway sector deployed two freight trains carrying more than 1,600 tonnes of stone to stabilise the Bạch Hổ railway bridge over the Hương River, as the water level surged to 4.93 metres — 1.43 metres above Level 3 flood alert.

According to Lê Trọng Tùng, Director of the Thừa Thiên–Huế Railway Operation Branch, one train of 22 wagons (630 tonnes) and another of 19 wagons (980 tonnes) were positioned on the bridge to provide ballast weight and prevent structural damage.

This was the second reinforcement within three days. On October 27, a similar deployment of 19 wagons had been carried out but withdrawn when the river level dropped. As water rose again late on October 29, authorities swiftly re-stationed the trains to safeguard the bridge amid widespread inundation across Huế, where thousands of homes remain submerged.

The military’s large-scale mobilisation and the emergency reinforcement of vital infrastructure underscore Việt Nam’s all-out effort to protect lives and property in the face of the region’s most severe flooding in recent years. — VNS