Officials of Hoàng Su Phì District check the situation after torrential rain and flooding in the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Phi Anh

HÀ GIANG — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng on Tuesday signed an urgent message to direct Hà Giang’s administration to quickly overcome the consequences of torrential rains and floods to help affected residents to resume their daily lives as soon as possible.

Five people were killed and two others injured due to floods, triggered by torrential rains of up to 400mm in the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang on Monday and Tuesday.

Dũng, on behalf of Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, sent a deep condolence to the families of the victims.

The Deputy PM said as this was the beginning of the rainy season in the northern region, floods and torrential rains would develop in the coming months.

He told the local administration to arrange temporary accommodation, send food and necessities for affected people, give financial supports for the victims’ families and re-build damaged transport infrastructure.

The Ministry of Transport was asked to fix sections of National Highways affected by landslides, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to re-check safety of reservoirs and the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting was tasked to closely monitor weather developments to issue prompt warnings.

The National Committee of Search and Rescue was required to be ready for emergencies, he said.

According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the dead people were a 44-year-old woman, two female teenagers, a two-year-old baby girl and a 27-year-old man. Three victims were killed due to landslides and two victims were swept away by floods.

The torrential rain also inundated a number of roads, blocked traffic and disrupted daily lives of local residents, the committee said.

The most affected areas were Hà Giang City with the rainfall of 378mm, Vị Xuyên District’s Đạo Đức Commune with the rainfall of 395mm, Vị Xuyên District’s Cao Bồ Commune with the rainfall of 401mm and Vị Xuyên District’s Thuận Hoà Commune with the rainfall of 290mm, the centre said.

Around 60 houses collapsed, nearly 530 houses were flooded, more than 215ha of crop were destroyed. Thái An Hydro-power Plant in Quản Bạ District and Thuận Hoà Hydro-power Plant in Vị Xuyên District were reportedly to be damaged after landslides buried the two facilities.

The local administration has evacuated dozens of people living in high risk areas of landslides and flash floods to safe places. — VNS