Recently, floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in the northern mountainous provinces during June 23-26 left more than 40 dead, missing, or injured.–VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng wants countrywide improvements in building plans to respond to incidents and disasters, including search and rescue activities, at a conference in Hà Nội yesterday. 

A report delivered to a conference in Hà Nội yesterday revealed that since the beginning of 2017, search and rescue forces have saved 5,438 people and 358 vehicles. More than 3.1 million people at sea onboard 744,000 vessels have been informed of dangerous weather situations and nearly 107,900 households were evacuated from dangerous areas. 
Deputy PM Dũng, who is head of the State Committee for Incidents and Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue, said there were complicated developments in weather, climate change, disasters, and incidents, causing serious and fatal damages.

Recently, floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in the northern mountainous provinces during June 23-26 left more than 40 dead, missing, or injured. Numerous fires and explosions took place causing damage, including a fire at the apartment complex Carina Plaza in HCM City which killed 13 people and a blaze at Hải Hà 18 oil tanker in Hải Phòng City. 
“Those incidents require us to take responsibility for reducing losses and intensifying response measures. Preventing human lives and property losses are the core task of the work, contributing to ensuring the continuation of socio-economic development,” Dũng stressed. 
The leader said that in the remaining months of 2018, the weather and climate situation is likely to be unpredictable. 
He asked ministries, sectors, and localities to keep a close watch on rain and flood developments after storm Son-Tinh, the third storm this year to hit the country and other areas prone to landslides and flash floods so as to promptly evacuate locals from dangerous areas. 

The Deputy PM asked the State Committee for Incident, Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue and the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control to set up inspection delegations to inspect localities’ preparations for disaster response, including measures to ensure residents’ safety, protect dykes, dams, and reservoirs. 
It is necessary to step up communications with and heighten the responsibility of leaders at all levels for disaster and incident response, including search and rescue missions, and increase the efficiency of forecasting work and preventive measures to minimise tragic losses. 
Localities should take the initiative in carrying out plans to respond to strong storms and typhoons, widespread downpours, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis based on the likelihood of their geographic area, he said. 
He also required localities and authorised forces to pay attention to measures on explosion response and intensify inspections to ensure traffic safety. 
Boosting international cooperation was also important, he said, stressing the necessity to improve the quality of human resources, apply technology in responding to incidents and disasters and in search and rescue, and participate in bilateral and multilateral drills. 

In light of Typhoon Son-Tinh, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has given the order to all affected localities to take measures to warn local communities, protect major infrastructure and intensify search and rescue missions. 

Five dead, 58 missing

Torrential rains and floods caused by the typhoon have left five dead and 58 injured or missing as of yesterday. The northern province of Yên Bái reported three deaths, 11 missing and seven injured.

More than 2,500 households in Yên Bái have also been affected by heavy rains and floods. Authorities are searching for 35 locals in Châu Bình Commune in the central province of Nghệ An, who went into the jungle to harvest bamboo.
The typhoon devastated provinces from Thái Bình to Quảng Bình from July 17-19. Water levels rose in the Hồng River, Thái Bình River and Hoàng Long River, along with other rivers from Thanh Hóa to Quảng Bình, causing widespread flooding. 
Leaders of some mountainous localities of Nghệ An have rolled out response measures and warned locals of the risks of landslides and flooding. 
The storm destroyed 1,000ha of farmland and crops; 60ha of forest; 15,000 tonnes of salt; and 922 hectares of aquatic farms; while also damaging five schools in the province.
According to the director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Hoàng Đức Cường, heavy rains would continue today over the northern and northern central regions and would spread across the northern region from July 24-27. — VNA/VNS