Soldiers helps people in Hùng Sơn Commune move out of the high-rish areas of landslide in Đà Nẵng City. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Construction issued an urgent dispatch on Monday evening, asking its specialised departments, provincial and municipal Departments of Construction, and the Việt Nam National Railway Corporation to proactively implement plans to respond to natural disasters, particularly heavy rains, flooding, landslides and flash floods.

The move aims to minimise loss of life and property while promptly addressing the consequences of natural disasters and ensuring safe and uninterrupted transport.

The ministry asked the Department for Road of Việt Nam (DRVN) to direct relevant units to inspect and review areas at risk of flooding, landslides and flash floods, and develop response plans and traffic diversion measures from a distance.

At locations at risk of deep flooding and strong currents, such as submerged roads, spillways, ferry terminals, pontoon bridges and small ferries, personnel must be deployed to stand guard and guide traffic.

Unsafe locations must be equipped with buoys, barriers and warning signs, with personnel assigned to monitor them. People and vehicles must be strictly prohibited from passing while dangerous conditions persist.

At landslide and subsidence sites causing traffic disruption, road management units must coordinate with local authorities to divert traffic from a distance and mobilise personnel, vehicles and equipment to urgently clear the affected areas and restore traffic as soon as possible.

For railways, management and maintenance units have been asked to strengthen patrols and establish guard posts at vulnerable locations, including bridges, weak sections of track, areas at risk of flash floods, landslides and falling rocks, as well as locations downstream of dykes, dams and reservoirs.

When heavy rains and flooding cause inundation or subsidence, the railway sector must proactively prepare plans to suspend or space out train services and arrange passenger transfers, while concentrating materials, equipment and personnel to deal with incidents.

In the maritime and inland waterway sectors, relevant units must guide vessels to safe mooring and shelter locations. Vessels moored near river-crossing bridges must be promptly moved to safe areas to prevent them from drifting and colliding with infrastructure.

The inland waterway sector must also proactively retrieve buoys and navigational markers before flooding occurs or when reservoir discharge warnings are issued, while being ready to reinstall the navigation system after the floods recede.

For aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam was asked to strengthen inspections of airports, terminals, communications systems and flight operations. Airlines must closely monitor weather developments so that flight schedules and routes can be adjusted promptly to ensure safe flight operations.

The ministry also asked investors, project management boards and contractors to implement measures to ensure construction safety, prevent landslides and be ready to address incidents.

Departments of Construction in localities affected by heavy rains and flooding must closely coordinate with relevant forces to deal with incidents, organise traffic diversions, ensure transport operations and prepare plans for passenger and cargo transfers when necessary.

Urgent evacuation in Đà Nẵng

Ga Ry Border Guard Station under the Đà Nẵng Border Guard Command, in coordination with the Hùng Sơn Commune authorities, on Monday, urgently evacuated 40 households, comprising 133 people, from an area at high risk of landslides.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Phúc Trường, Political Commissar of Ga Ry Border Guard Station, said the unit had earlier received reports from local residents that large, deep cracks had appeared in the area around the summit of Pơrlai Mountain in Ga Ri Village, Hùng Sơn Commune, along with fallen and broken trees.

Following an on-site inspection, the unit determined that the area faced a high risk of landslides, posing a direct threat to the lives and property of households living at the foot of the mountain.

By Monday afternoon, the unit had deployed 25 officers and soldiers to work with local forces to urgently raise public awareness, persuade residents to evacuate and assist them in moving to safety.

All 40 households in the danger zone had been relocated to a safe shelter.

To help residents stabilise their living conditions, Ga Ry Border Guard Station used its reserve funds to provide 200kg of rice.

It also dispatched a medical team to provide free health check-ups and medicines and instruct residents on environmental sanitation and disease prevention at the temporary accommodation site.

The area under the management of Ga Ry Border Guard Station currently has about 17 locations at risk of landslides.

The unit is maintaining personnel on 24-hour duty, closely monitoring weather developments and ground subsidence at Pơrlai Mountain and other vulnerable locations, and remaining ready to implement emergency response plans if necessary. VNS