President gives advice on visit to flooded provinces

President Nguyen Minh Triet hands out a relief package in Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Anh

NINH THUAN — President Nguyen Minh Triet yesterday flew to the central region to visit Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Phu Yen provinces to inspect flooded areas and give direct instructions for recovery efforts.

He began the tour by visiting Thuan Loi Hamlet, Ninh Phuoc District in Ninh Thuan Province, which was devastated by flood waters, where he extended his sympathies to residents over their property losses.

He urged local authorities to care for people's lives and to help them return to normal life and resume production soon.

The President handed over relief aids to flood-hit families and donated VND200 million (US$10,300) to the hamlet.

Triet also took a tour along 10km of the Dinh River bank which was breached by floodwaters.

At a working session with Ninh Thuan provincial officials, the President said central agencies should help the province overcome the aftermath of floods, and said the Government would provide it with 2,000 tonnes of rice and VND50 billion to cover recovery costs.

By Tuesday afternoon, floods in the province had claimed three lives and left one missing. The calamity inundated 5,150 houses, damaged 454 others, flooded 13,000ha of cultivated land, washed away cattle and poultry, and sank 14 ships.

Triet next visited Khanh Hoa Province where he asked local authorities to continue with preventive measures against heavy rains in the coming days while it continued to care for local residents in order to resume normal life as soon as possible.

The province was an economic hub in the central region, particularly in tourism, he said as he urged the province to rebuild damaged infrastructure and help businesses return to normal activities.

The President said the central authority would provide Khanh Hoa with 500 tonnes of rice along with rice and vegetable seeds and water purification tablets, and VND30 billion to help with quick repairs of essential infrastructure.

Triet paid a visit and handed over relief aid to people affected by the flooding in Cam Thinh Dong Commune of Cam Ranh Town and Vinh Trung Commune of Nha Trang City.

The natural calamity claimed five lives, left one missing and injured two others in the province. Flood waters submerged 9,190 houses and demolished 161 others, inundated almost 7,400ha of cultivated rice and crop land, washed away 23,000 poultry and cattle, sank nine ships, and damaged transport routes. Total losses are estimated at nearly VND300 billion.

The President also made a tour of Phu Yen Province, where he gave recovery instructions and advice on coping with floods and heavy rains as an offshore tropical low pressure system moves toward the continent.

He pledged the Government and ministries would provide food and essentials to people in flooded areas. The Ministry of Public Security is on standby to help local forces with rescue efforts.

Heavy rains from October 29 claimed four lives and left one person missing in the province. The calamity also inundated 2,100 houses, 2,200ha of crops and destroyed roads. Initial losses are estimated at over VND95 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Public Security and the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control accompanied President Triet. — VNS

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Suspects apprehended in downtown double-murder

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with last week's triple stabbing in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The arrests comes after a week-long manhunt. 

Initial reports showed that on, August 6,  Nguyen Quoc Tan, 21, was driving around on a motorbike with his friend, Nguyen Van Ut, 29. After turning down Cong Quynh street, in District 1, the pair nearly collided wtih another three men riding on two motorbikes.

A heated argument ensued and Hoang Dinh Hung, 27, one of the three men, took off his belt while other two - Nguyen Minh Duc, also 27, and Nguyen Chi Dung, 26 - took off their helmets and began striking Tan.

In the scuffle, Tan produced a knife and stabbed his attackers, he told the police.

Duc died from five stab wounds; Dung was felled by just two, while Hung survived his three wounds.

What happened next has remained a mystery until now.

When the police arrived at the scene, they had little to go on. Witnesses reported seeing two knives and various accounts differed on the make of the assailants' motorbike, police told a Thanh Nien reporter.

Onlookers also explained that this was not a gang-related knife fight and they did not believe that there was anything connecting the two parties in the crime.

Eyewitnesses did seem to agree that the first four digits of the knife wielder's liscense plate were 54Z7. For the last four, they could only provide one number.

Luckily, Hung woke up in the hospital and was able to give a physical description of both the motorbike as well as the man who had stabbed him.

They tracked down a motorbike in District 7, to Tan's nephew, who initially denied having loaned his bike to anyone, the night of the killing. After some questioning, the boy admitted that his uncle Tan was driving the bike on the night in question, police said.

According to the authorities, the two desperate men did their best to avoid capture.

After the deadly exchange, Tan drove Ut to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, where he threw the murder weapon into a garbage bin, the younger man told police. 

Tan hid out in the adjacent Binh Duong province, while Ut fled to Dong Nai province.

According to police, Tan said he bought the knife that same day, along with some fruit, to share with his drinking buddies in District 7. He met Ut on his way back from the fruit shop; the latter had asked for ride to the Children's Hospital in District 1 to visit his child.

Police say the investigation is still underway. 

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