At the landslide site (Photo: VNA)

In his dispatch, he emphasised that floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains over the past month in the central and Central Highlands regions, particularly Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Tri provinces, claimed several lives and left dozens of other missing.

He added the landslides early this week killed 13 officials and soldiers at Ranger Station 67, and two construction workers and left 15 others missing at Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant in Thua Thien – Hue province. Moreover, a landslide occurred early October 18 in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, which buried 22 officers and soldiers of Defence – Economic Division 337 under Military Region 4.

Also in the dispatch, the PM extended his deepest condolences to the families of the officials and soldiers sacrificed during their rescue operations, as well as his sympathy to the families of those who are still missing.

Heavy rain is predicted to last in the coming days, posing a high risk of landslides and flash floods in the central and Central Highlands regions. To protect the life and properties of residents, the PM asked the Ministry of Defence, the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue to instruct Military Region 4 and relevant units to mobilise all resources and equipment to search and rescue workers who lost contact at the Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant and soldiers buried by a landslide in Huong Hoa district, while ensuring safety for rescue forces.

The ministries of Transport and Public Security and the People’s Committees of Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Tri were asked to mobilise all equipment and resources to join efforts with the Ministry of Defence and Military Region 4 to fix road to in the affected areas so that machineries and means of transport are brought to assist the rescue work in the landslide scenes.

Meanwhile, localities were also asked to promptly assist state policy beneficiaries, and families of natural disaster victims, as well as those affected by natural disasters.

The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control is responsible for keeping a close watch on flood developments in order to adopt response measures.

Also the same day, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung and his working delegation made a field trip to Quang Tri province to instruct the settlement of the consequences of floods.

He visited local residents in Thanh An commune, Cam Lo district.

During his meeting Cam Lo authorities, Dung conveyed PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s condolences to the people in the central region in general and to those in Quang Tri in particular, especially the relatives of the flood victims.

He praised efforts of rescue forces and asked them to prioritise searching and rescuing soldiers buried by a landslide in Huong Hoa district.

As of 4:45 pm of October 18, 14 bodies of 22 soldiers buried by a landslide earlier the same day in Huong Hoa district had been found./.VNA