HÀ NỘI — Various organisations from the central to the grassroots level have joined hands to alleviate the suffering caused by a flood that inundated two provinces last Saturday night.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society on Monday released VNĐ250 million (US$11,100) to help households reeling from lost lives and property in the northern mountainous provinces of Lai Châu and Hà Giang.

Earlier, the Hà Nội Red Cross Society shelled out VNĐ50 million (US$2,200) in financial assistance for the affected population.

Trần Thị Hồng An, the Deputy Chairwoman of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, said after damaged roads are repaired, the organisation will assign support teams to the disaster areas to help local residents in repair houses and set up clean water systems.

Nguyễn Minh Tiến, standing deputy chairman of Hà Giang Province’s people’s committee, said the committee directed district authorities to proceed to the disaster areas to immediately assist local residents.

More landslide warnings were issued to alert residents to be more vigilant and prepare suitable preventive measures.

Tiến said while the rainfall and water level in the Lô River as well as other rivers in the province had gradually decreased by Monday afternoon, the situation was still difficult. Local authorities must assign workers to be on duty at all times to prepare for different scenarios, he said.

A report from the Lai Châu Department of Education and Training showed that despite the floods, 3,162 out of 3,209 students in the province were able to take the national high school exam Monday morning. Those who failed to make it blamed landslides, traffic jams, or floods that swept away their vehicles.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned flash flood and landslides could still occur in the Tiên Yên and Bình Liêu districts of northern Quảng Ninh province, as well as the Mẫu Sơn, Lộc Bình, and Đình Lập districts of Lạng Sơn Province. Areas in the northern port city of Hải Phòng could also find themselves submerged under floodwaters.

A total of 123 mm of rain fell by 7.30 a.m. Tuesday in the Quảng Hà District of Hải Phòng City, while 91.33mm fell in the Tiên Yên District of Quảng Ninh Province was 91.3mm, and 52 mm in the Mẫu Sơn District of Lạng Sơn Province.

Meteorologists say the above provinces and surrounding areas will experience heavy rains on Tuesday.

Floods in the northern mountainous provinces have killed 14 people and left 11 others missing, causing losses of nearly VNĐ110 billion (US$4.9 million), according to the latest report from the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control. — VNS