Heavy rains caused landslides in Xà Hồ Village, Pa Ủ Commune, Lai Châu Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has ordered ministries, agencies and local authorities to take urgent and proactive measures as heavy rainfall is forecast for Việt Nam's northern mountainous and midland regions, saying the protection of human life must be the top priority.

The directive was issued in Official Dispatch No. 49/CĐ-TTg, signed on Friday by Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng on behalf of the Prime Minister.

The dispatch was sent to the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, National Defence, Public Security, Construction, and Industry and Trade; the People's Committees of Lào Cai, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Tuyên Quang, Thái Nguyên, Phú Thọ, Bắc Ninh and Quảng Ninh provinces; the Office of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee; and major national media agencies.

According to the dispatch, several northern mountainous provinces have recently recorded torrential rainfall, with precipitation reaching 406mm at Chế Tạo Station (Lào Cai), 378mm at Nậm Păm (Sơn La) and 353mm at Phúc Than (Lai Châu). The downpours have caused flooding, flash floods and landslides, damaging homes, crops, transport routes and other infrastructure.

Moderate to heavy rain is forecast to continue across the northern mountainous and midland areas in the coming days, with widespread rainfall of 50–100mm and isolated locations expected to receive more than 250mm. Localised flooding in low-lying areas, flash floods along small rivers and streams, and landslides on steep slopes remain major risks.

To minimise casualties and damage to public and private property, the PM instructed ministries, sectors and local authorities to strictly implement directions issued by Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, as well as the Government's directives on strengthening disaster preparedness this year.

The National Civil Defence Steering Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment were tasked with maintaining round-the-clock monitoring of weather developments, improving forecasting and early warning services, and ensuring timely dissemination of information to authorities and the public to facilitate prompt response measures.

Provincial authorities, particularly in Lai Châu and other affected localities, were instructed to mobilise all available resources to overcome the consequences of recent flooding, stabilise people's livelihoods and review emergency response plans to ensure preparedness for all disaster scenarios.

The PM also directed local authorities to provide timely disaster information to residents, strengthen public awareness campaigns on flood, flash flood and landslide preparedness, and organise the immediate evacuation of households in high-risk areas, with priority given to the elderly, children and other vulnerable groups. They were also instructed to ensure adequate supplies of food and other essential goods for affected communities.

Local authorities were further ordered to maintain flood control operations, safeguard dykes and reservoirs, and deploy personnel to manage traffic and ensure public safety at flooded roads, low-water crossings and landslide-prone transport routes.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, Industry and Trade, and Construction were assigned to strengthen disaster prevention and recovery efforts within their respective sectors, with particular attention paid to the safety of irrigation and hydropower reservoirs, dyke systems, electricity infrastructure and telecommunications networks.

Meanwhile, the Ministries of National Defence and Public Security were instructed to keep military and police forces on standby to assist with evacuations, rescue and relief operations, and post-disaster recovery whenever requested by local authorities.

National media agencies, including the Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam and the Vietnam News Agency, were asked to provide timely updates on weather conditions and the Government's response efforts while intensifying public information campaigns on disaster preparedness and safety skills.

According to preliminary reports from Lai Châu, Sơn La, Lào Cai and Điện Biên provinces, heavy rain from Wednesday evening to Friday morning left one person injured, destroyed seven houses and damaged 24 others. Landslides also blocked several sections of National Highways 12, 32 and 279, along with a number of provincial roads.

Since the beginning of this year, disasters have killed or left 34 people missing. They have also destroyed 85 houses, damaged more than 2,100 others and caused economic losses estimated at more than VNĐ650 billion (US$24.7 million). — VNA/VNS