HÀ NỘI — As of Monday evening, floods and landslides in the northern mountainous provinces had killed 14 people and left 11 others missing.

The total damaged has been estimated at nearly VNĐ110 billion (US$4.9 million), according to the latest report from the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control.

Most of the victims are in Hà Giang and Lai Châu provinces.

At a meeting of the committee yesterday morning, Nguyễn Trường Sơn, deputy chief of the committee secretariat, said that the victims were swept away by flash floods or were crushed by sliding rock while they worked in the fields.

The floods destroyed 67 houses and damaged nearly 400 others.

More than 700ha of rice and farm products were destroyed and 14ha of fish were swept away. Four tonnes of rice seeds in Hà Giang Province were submerged.

Several highways connecting Lào Cai Province and Lai Châu Province were damaged, obstructing traffic.

Fifteen students in Than Uyên District, Lai Châu Province yesterday morning found their path to school blocked by the floods, preventing them from attending the national high school graduation exam. The provincial people’s committee assigned workers to take them to exam places safely.

Hoàng Đức Cường, director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), said that the amount of rain over the past few days has been substantial. It is forecast that heavy rains will occur until the end of today and will gradually subside starting tomorrow. The risk of flash flood and erosion persists in Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Hà Giang and Cao Bằng provinces.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has sent a note giving guidance to northern provincial authorities to cope with the flood.

PM Phúc asked provincial people’s committees and concerned ministries to search for missing victims, give support to residents who have lost loved ones and property and provide timely information to lessen the flood’s consequences.

Local authorities should check all areas facing a high risk of landslides to move residents to safe places. Workers should be assigned to guard roads at risk of submerging in order to limit losses.

The Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Public Security are responsible for providing forces to join the rescue work and improve the flood’s consequences.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade must supervise dikes, lakes and dams to ensure their safe operation.

The Ministry of Transport is responsible for repairing landslide-hit areas and damaged roads and supporting localities to resolve problems along main roads.

Other ministries and sectors should also prepare to support localities as necessary.

PM Phúc asked the Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency and other media and press to provide frequent updates about the flood situation so that ministries, localities and residents can remain vigilant. — VNS