VietNam Society: Quang Ngai

Showing posts with label Quang Ngai. Show all posts

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Gov’t provides $17 mln for disaster-hit provinces

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has entrusted the Finance Ministry to extract VND335 billion (US$17.1 million) from the state budget and 8,600 tons of rice from the national reserve to support 11 provinces stricken by natural disasters.

The beneficiary localities include Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dak Lak and Thai Nguyen.

The PM also asked the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to continue keeping close watch to the scarcity of food and hunger in localities hit by floods and report to him.

Chairmen of the provincial People’s Committees will be responsible for effectively managing and using the allocated cash and rice as well as actively mobilizing the local budget and other legal financial resources for surmounting the consequences of natural disasters, according to the decision.

On the same day, the PM signed another decision to provide lifeboats, chemicals and vaccines for Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thua Thien-Hue, and Quang Ngai provinces.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

South Central rains to continue

Floods wreak havoc in the Huong Son District of central Ha Tinh Province. National weather forecasters warn that heavy rain will continue in the South Central region. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

HA NOI — Heavy rains are forecast to continue in south-central provinces, while local authorities and people are trying to surmount the consequences of floods that have hit the region over recent days.

Rainfall from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh Province over the past three days averaged 150-300mm, but reached 500mm and 740mm in some areas such as Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

Prolonged torrential rains of up to 982mm in mountainous Tra Bong District in Quang Ngai caused double floods and pushed water levels in local rivers beyond alarm level.

Most water reservoirs in the central region had begun discharging flood water. Ten of eleven reservoirs in Quang Ngai exceeded their overflow levels.

Director of the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre Bui Minh Tang said heavy rains would continue during the next few days,with storms tending to move southwards through the provinces of Quang Ngai to Phu Yen.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai instructed authorities of south-central provinces to stay alert to the progress of rains and floods to minimise losses to human life and property at an urgent online meeting with the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control and local authorities yesterday.

"Rains and floods are causing severe problems, particularly in highland areas where there are a limited number of rain measuring stations, so it is essential to keep a close watch, while maintaining a flow of reports on the progress of rainstorms and floods to prevent a loss of lives through carelessness," Hai said.

Localities should continue mobilising all available forces for rescue and relief work and to support flood victims and help local people overcome the consequences of the storms.

He required the national steering committee for flood and storm prevention and control to check and ensure the safety of reservoir systems and promptly respond to landslide-affected areas.

He noted that hydropower reservoirs needed to discharge floodwaters in line with regulations to avoid creating flooding in low-lying areas.

Torrential rains have triggered floods in south-central provinces over recent days, killing 12 people and leaving two missing.

More than 44,500 households and many roads and highways in the region have been submerged under 0.2-2m of floods.

Thua Thien-Hue authorities reported that the Ho Chi Minh Highway sections crossing A Roang and Hong Van communes which had been damaged by floods, reopened to traffic yesterday.

Police in Quang Nam have mobilised forces to guide local people travelling across submerged and landslide affected roads, as well as monitoring National Highway 1A for traffic jams.

According to the Trieu Thuong Commune People's Committee, Quang Tri Province, people in low-lying areas have been evacuated with their possessions to higher ground.

People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Dai Vui of Phong Dien District in Thua Thien-Hue said drawing on the experience from previous floods, the district had bought 40 tonnes of rice to supply people in isolated areas.

"Children and old people have already been relocated to higher ground to ensure their safety," he said.

More than 4,700 households with over 21,000 people in high risks areas have been evacuated to safe places in the region. — VNS

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Floods wreak havoc in central region

Flash flood coming down from Dong Tranh Mountain damaged thousands of houses in Quang Ngai Province's Binh Son District. More than 1,500 households were isolated and a road was ripped apart. Two people were killed and 11 reported injured in the flooding. — VNA/VNS Photo Tien Tri

QUANG NGAI — Torrential rain and floods left at least two dead and 11 injured, submerged multiple houses and blocked roads in Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces yesterday.

According to the Quang Ngai Province Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Binh Son District was the worst hit region.

Nearly 3,000 houses in the district were flooded. Flood waters pulled down 19 houses, damaged schools, rice fields and cereal crops, and swept away animals and poultry.

The Binh Son District People's Committee estimated the total loss at VND58 billion (US$3 million).

Floods also caused landslides and blocked traffic routes linking Binh Son District with National Highway 1A.

Thousands of passengers moving between the North and South got stuck in Quang Ngai Province because of the storm's effects.

"Many passengers and I were wrestling with idle time waiting for flood water to recede," said Nguyen Bay, who travelled to HCM City by bus to visit his ill son.

Son Binh Bridge that crosses To Hap River was buried in soil, isolating Son Lam and Thanh Son communes in Khanh Son mountainous district.

About 6,000, mostly ethnic people, live in the two communes.

According to the Khanh Son District People's Committee, local donors have provided 19 tonnes of rice to the two communes.

More than 330ha of the district's cereal crops were completely damaged and nearly 40ha of agricultural land destroyed.

The committee has asked authorities to help impacted locals. In Binh Son District, each family whose house collapsed has been given a tent and 50kg of rice.

Work is also underway to repair damaged roads and clear routes to isolated regions.

About 1,586 houses in low-lying and submerged areas in Binh Son, Tra Bong and Nghia Hanh districts were relocated to higher ground.

The Quang Ngai Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre said river water levels had already reached the third alarm level. Water levels on Tra Bong and Tra Khuc rivers were reported to be even higher. In fact, Tra Bong River is said to have water levels that surpass the historic flood in 1999.

To cope with this issue, the province has moved an additional 660 vulnerable houses from the same three districts.

Eight of the eleven big reservoirs in Quang Ngai Province are full. Two of them, Da Ban (in Mo Duc District) and Hoc Mua (in Binh Son District), are reportedly in danger of overflowing.

Provincial authorities have already crafted solutions to cope with the worst circumstances.

Other localities

Prolonged downpour also blocked traffic routes and separated many districts in Quang Nam Province.

Mo Su Mountain caved in, blocking traffic roads connecting the town of Nui Thanh with Tam Quang Commune and those linking National Highway 1A with the Ky Ha sea port.

Many communes of Nam Tra My and Nong Son districts were also submerged under 0.5 to 1.5 metres of water.

Central provinces from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue also experienced between 50mm and 100mm of rain yesterday. In Binh Dien of Thua Thien-Hue Province, water levels reached 163mm.

Heavy rain caused river water levels to rise quickly. As a result, flash floods and landslides are forecast at an alarming level.

Since about 40,000 wells were submerged, the National Centre for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation has also supplied Cloramine B powder, Pur chemical and individual hygiene bags to disinfect the water in Phu Yen Province.

Cold spell in north

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre says that low pressure mixed with a cold spell have brought rain and wind to the northern and mid central regions since last night.

Rain also occurred in some areas in the north and central Thanh Hoa Province.

Ha Noi is expected to experience low temperatures of 16 to 19 degrees Celsius.

The centre said river water levels from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Nam would continue to increase while levels in the rivers of the Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces would recede.

The centre also warned of flash floods from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Nam provinces. — VNS

Landslides hit central Vietnam hard, Phu Yen declares emergency

Landslides hit central Vietnam hard, Phu Yen declares emergency Authorities in the central province of Phu Yen on Friday announced a state of emergency as landslides triggered by heavy rains badly damaged a section of the National Way 1A.

Pham Dinh Cu, chairman of Phu Yen’s People’s Committee, said landslides had hit more than one-third of the section or nearly 100 meters of the road in Tuy An District, and were threatening to spread the damage further.

At the moment, vehicles are only being allowed to move in one direction of the main road only.

In the announcement, Cu asked the district’s authorities to evacuate locals from the landslide-stricken areas, and ordered traffic police to be on duty twenty-four-seven to manage traffic.

The provincial authorities also urged the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam’s Roads Management Area No.5, which is in charge of roads in the central region, to open another road on the mountainous side.

Nguyen Van Son, chairman of People’s Committee in Chi Thanh Town of Tuy An District, said the town has been struck by a big landslide and many “dangerous cracks” have appeared near residential areas.

Torrential rain starting last weekend have also brought floods and landslides to other provinces on the central coast like Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh, isolating thousands of people, local news website VnExpress reported.

Meanwhile, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Friday warned about a tropical low in the East Sea, about 330 kilometers from the coast of Quang Ngai and Khanh Hoa provinces.

There’s little chance that it will strengthen into storm, but it would mainly cause rains in the sea, the center said, stressing that it still needs close observation.

Since last month Vietnam’s central region has been continuously lashed by floods that have left hundreds of people dead or missing.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Landslides cut off parts of central VN

Torrential rains have caused a series of landslides in the mountainous central region, blocking many highways and roads for the last several days.

In Quang Nam province, a wall of earth and rock slid down Soi Mu Mountain in Nui Thanh district on Nov. 10, cutting off Ky Ha Port (Chu Lai) from National Highway 1A.

A 100-metre stretch of Road 618 is buried under 2 to 10 metres of rock and soil.

A minor landslide occurred in mountainous Son Tay Commune in Quang Ngai province on Nov. 11, cutting off the Tra Trung – Di Lang road.

On provincial road 622B, soil and rock cover a third of the road's width following a landslide, slowing down transport to Tay Tra district in Quang Ngai.

Also in Quang Ngai, a massive landslide blocked traffic on the road connecting Tra Bong and Tra Thanh districts as well as roads in Tay Tra district.

In Binh Dinh province, the floodwaters have been receding gradually since Nov. 11, but several stretches of Road 640 from Tuy Phuoc town to the eastern communes and Phu Cat District remain under up to a metre of water.

In the province's Van Canh district, soil and rocks on the Dai slope slid on to the newly built road below, covering 3km of it.

Seven people have been killed and two injured so far in the floods while one person is missing. Besides, 85 houses have collapsed and 117 are severely damaged.

The total damage is estimated at 513 billion VND (26 million USD).

The Binh Dinh People's Committee has asked the Government for 150 billion VND (7.7 million USD) besides 3,000 tonnes of rice, 400,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, 500,000 doses of cholera vaccines for pigs, and 20 tonnes of disinfectants./.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Detained Vietnamese fishermen arrive home

Detained Vietnamese fishermen arrive home Nine Vietnamese fishermen released by the Chinese Fishing Patrol Force arrived home safely on Tuesday (October 26).

The crew pulled into the Dung Quat Port in the central province of Quang Ngai a month and a half after being detained while fishing off the coast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.

Captain Mai Phung Luu of Quang Ngai’s Ly Son District and his crew were captured by a Chinese patrol on September 11 while fishing in Vietnamese waters.

On October 11, China said that it had released the nine Vietnamese fishermen and their boat.

But concerns over their safety arose after they failed to arrive home the following day, as expected.

Luu said that after spending a month in Chinese custody, their captors confiscated their communications equipment and released them on October 11. The crew began their journey home and their engine broke down soon and they spent five days adrift at sea.

The Chinese confiscated their communications equipment and Luu said the crew was expecting the worst when a Chinese ship arrived and towed their boat to Tru Cau Island.

Due to bad weather from the typhoon Megi, it wasn’t until October 25 that a Vietnamese rescue vessel arrived at the island to tow the boat back to Quang Ngai a day later.

Mai Chi Tam, Luu’s son said they survived their ordeal by catching fish.

“We were really scared,” Tam said. “We had to make a sail from a piece of canvas hoping the wind would carry us into the path of another boat so we would be rescued.”

On Wednesday, Tam and his family members were having their boat repaired in Quang Ngai while other fishermen returned to their homes on Ly Son Island.

“We will head out to sea again to make our livings,” he told Thanh Nien Weekly, adding that the seizure cost the family about VND150 million. The family said they’ll have to take out loans to finance future fishing trips.

In related news, rescuers are searching for the crew of a squid fishing boat that disappeared off the coast of the north-central province of Thanh Hoa.

The nine fishermen lost communication with coastal authorities on October 16.

The boat belonging to Nguyen Van Hop began its offshore fishing journey on September 9 in a floatilla of boats from the Ngu Loc Commune in the province’s Hau Loc District.

However, Hop’s boat was not among the cluster of ships that arrived home early on October 16 to avoid a coming typhoon.

The local government and area fishermen assembled a search party consisting of fourteen ships to search for Hop and his crew but they failed to find any trace of the lost vessel.

Nguyen Van Ap, Chairman of the Hau Loc District People’s Committee, the local government, said they’ve asked for support from the coast guard and other rescue agencies.

Hop’s wife, Nguyen Thi Thuy, said the crew went to sea with enough fuel and food for one to two months. The boat was fully equipped with communications and positioning devices but lost touch with the mainland on October 16.

Nguyen Van Tam, a fishermen on another boat in the group, said he contacted Hop and they agreed to return home to avoid typhoon Megi. Tam lost communication with Hop a few minutes later.

Nguyen Van Ngu, chairman of Ngu Loc Commune People’s Committee, said that a total of 130 fishermen have been lost in similar cases since 1996.

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