Soldiers work to prevent the Bùi River from overflowing at low-lying sections of the dyke in Trần Phú Commune, Hà Nội last Friday —. VNA/VNS Photo Hùng Mạnh

HÀ NỘI — The General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army has ordered military agencies and units to proactively prepare for heavy rain, flooding, flash floods, landslides, whirlwinds, lightning and hail.

The order was issued in Official Dispatch No. 5905 on Sunday following forecasts by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting of moderate to torrential rain from Monday to Thursday in provinces of Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Khánh Hòa, Lâm Đồng and several southern provinces.

Rainfall is forecast at 150-250mm, with some areas receiving more than 400mm.

The General Staff asked military units to strictly implement disaster-response directives, maintain duty rosters and closely monitor weather and hydrological developments.

They must strengthen response teams, promptly mobilise personnel and equipment when emergencies occur, ensure effective rescue operations and protect personnel involved in disaster response.

Military Regions 4, 5, 7 and 9 were instructed to coordinate with local authorities to review disaster-response plans and identify high-risk areas, including locations vulnerable to flash floods, flooding, isolation and landslides, as well as vulnerable dykes, embankments, reservoirs and dams.

Personnel and equipment must be positioned in advance at key locations, while households in dangerous areas should be evacuated to safety.

Military units are also required to assist local authorities and residents with disaster response, recovery and search-and-rescue operations.

Army Corps 34, military services and corps were ordered to ensure the safety of barracks, warehouses and other facilities and coordinate with local authorities to assist residents when requested.

The Border Guard Command was asked to prepare personnel and equipment for disaster-response operations, while the Air Defence-Air Force Service and Army Corps 18 must be ready to conduct search-and-rescue flights when ordered.

The Signals Corps and Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group must ensure telecommunications services in areas affected by floods and landslides and restore networks promptly if outages occur.

The General Staff also instructed the General Department of Logistics and Technical Services and the General Department of Defence Industry to ensure the safety of warehouses, factories, weapons and equipment, while preparing logistics and technical support and providing rescue equipment and supplies to affected localities when necessary. — VNS