Road clearing efforts underway to reach 1,700 people being isolated in Ngọc Linh Commune. VNA/VNS Photos Cao Nguyên

QUẢNG NGÃI — Local authorities in Ngọc Linh Commune, central Quảng Ngãi Province, are racing against time to clear roads leading to villages severely damaged by Typhoon Fengshen and days of prolonged rain.

According to Vietnam News Agency reporters, all roads leading to Ngọc Linh Commune, the hardest-hit area in the western part of Quảng Ngãi Province, have been blocked by landslides, leaving five villages with over 1,700 people isolated.

Phan Mười, deputy director of the provincial Department of Construction, said many roads in the western region of Quảng Ngãi (formerly part of Kon Tum Province) have been severely damaged, particularly provincial road 673 connecting the Hồ Chí Minh Road with Ngọc Linh Commune.

The road has suffered multiple landslides, some large and recurrent due to continuous rainfall. The department has instructed relevant units and nearby hydropower plants to mobilise equipment and coordinate efforts to clear debris from both ends of the route simultaneously to reopen traffic as quickly as possible, he said.

However, prolonged heavy rains have saturated the soil, making it unstable and prone to further collapses, complicating road clearance efforts.

Trần Quốc Phùng, deputy director of Kon Tum Transport Construction and Management JSC, which manages provincial road 673, said the company has deployed excavators and workers from both the Xốp and Ngọc Linh sides to restore access as quickly as possible.

A landslide spot on provincial road 673.

Machines and workers have been operating day and night, but persistent bad weather has caused new landslides immediately after clearing.

Authorities are currently working to open a temporary passage for people and vehicles along provincial road 673.

A Phương, secretary of the commune’s Party Committee, told Vietnam News Agency that heavy rain and floods over the past four days have caused extensive damage, making it impossible to access the five villages.

Local authorities have mobilised more than 100 people to open alternative routes through production areas, including a nearly 15-kilometre-long path to Ngọc Nang Village, the farthest one.

At present, people can only reach the isolated villages on foot, taking about 30 minutes longer than usual.

Although the weather has improved, all supplies must still be carried in manually.

The commune plans to deploy another 100 people to continue clearing access roads on Friday.

Despite the isolation, residents still have sufficient food and essentials.

“Rice and grains can sustain households for about a month. Basic goods like salt and oil are available in local shops. If needed, we will send militia forces to carry food and supplies to the villagers,” Phương said.

A temporary passage into the commune has now been established, but further landslides are forecast if rain continues. — VNS