HÀ NỘI — PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Saturday visited the central provinces hardest hit by Typhoon Doksuri to inspect recovery efforts. 

The Government chief arrived in Nghệ An Province’s Cửa Lò Town after the typhoon wrought havoc there a day earlier, destroying more than 350 houses and uprooting over 500 trees.

The PM also visited Nghi Hải primary school in the town’s Nghi Hải Ward, where the roofs of many classrooms were blown away, with total losses of about VNĐ1 billion (US$44,400). 

He urged Nghệ An Province to continue mobilising forces to clean the environment and support locals in repairing houses and schools, to ensure that all students can return to schools today (Monday) and that all residents can access power and fresh water. 

He also asked authorities to help local manufacturers resume production by yesterday. 
Phúc approved a proposal by Secretary of the Nghệ An Party Committee, Nguyễn Đắc Vinh, to set up of flood warning systems in Kỳ Sơn District and upgrade the sea dyke in the province to enhance its resilience. 
Also on Saturday, PM Phúc accompanied by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office, Mai Tiến Dũng, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường visited the central province of Hà Tĩnh to boost storm recovery efforts.

The PM and his delegation visited a primary school in Kỳ Nam Commune of Kỳ Anh District, which had been completely destroyed by the storm. He ordered the local authorities to immediately mobilise all efforts to reconstruct this and other damaged schools in the area.

Initial data showed more than 69,000 local houses in Hà Tĩnh were destroyed and about 3,100ha of fishery breeding areas were swept away.

The province’s agricultural production was also suffering from serious damage with about 1,000ha of rice having been submerged.

At a meeting with provincial authorities, PM Phúc agreed to urgently allocate a number of tonnes of rice as emergency aid to the province.

He also directed allocating VNĐ40 billion ($1.8 million) to rebuild two antenna towers in the province.

The PM asked authorities to coordinate with residents to repair houses, schools and roads so that life could return to normal within five days.

Earlier, the PM inspected damage by Typhoon Doksuri in Đà Nẵng City and the central province of Quảng Bình, ordering the allocation of 3,000 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to this central province.

According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, at least nine people were killed, 112 injured and four others missing after Doksuri swept through Việt Nam on Friday and Saturday.

The typhoon, the tenth to hit Việt Nam this year, caused widespread rainfall between 100-250mm in provinces from Thanh Hóa to Thừa Thiên-Huế and left 1.3 million people without power.

Youths aid storm-hit residents in HàTĩnh

Nearly 5,000 members of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) in the central province of Hà Tĩnh on Sunday helped local residents address the consequences of typhoon Doksuri. 
Nearly 2,000 of them helped repair schools, healthcare stations, clear traffic jams and clean beaches in Nghi Xuân, Lộc Hà, Cẩm Xuyên and Kỳ Anh districts. 
Youths from Hương Sơn, Hương Khê, Vụ Quang, Thạch Hà districts and Hà Tĩnh city helped clean roads and repair electricity networks and damaged roofs. 
Young people also presented 110 packages of necessities and cash worth VNĐ20 million in total to residents in Kỳ Phu Commune of Kỳ Anh District and Kỳ Hà Commune of Kỳ Anh Town. 
On Saturday, nearly 1,850 young volunteers were mobilised to help clean the environment, overcome storm consequences, and prepare measures against post-storm rains. 
Nguyễn Thế Hoàn, secretary of the HCYU of Hà Tĩnh Province said the work will continue in the coming days to help local people stabilise their lives. — VNS