VietNam Society: Thua Thien

Showing posts with label Thua Thien. Show all posts

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Indonesian community donates blood

HCM CITY — The Indonesian community in HCM City and neighbouring provinces donated 13,600ml blood during a humanitarian activity held yesterday afternoon by the General Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in the city.

At the consulate's third blood drive, around 50 people donated blood with the support of the HCM City Red Cross Association.

According to Indonesian Consul General Pande K. Wuri Handayani, the event was aimed at enhancing solidarity between the people of Viet Nam and Indonesia.

Artist's Viet Nam ride promotes road safety

HCM CITY — Artist Quang Dat starts his month-long journey on his Vespa scooter today, from southernmost Ca Mau Province to Ha Noi, to promote traffic safety.

More than 1,000 traffic police have signed his scooter. Dat had previously owned another scooter with the signatures of 500 names of famous Vietnamese people.

Thua Thien Hue trains rural workforce

HCM CITY — Thua Thien Hue Province will spend VND290 billion (US$14,871) on a vocational programme to train rural workers who will be required to take jobs in the industrial sector.

The programme, which will begin in 2011 and end in 2020, targets to raise the percentage of trained workers in the labour force to 60 per cent by 2015 and 70 per cent by 2020.

The province People's Committee, which wants to shift the economy from agriculture to industry, is offering the courses to ensure that there are a sufficient number of trained workers for the province's industrial parks.

Funds for the programme are from State and provincial budgets as well as the private sector.

Market violations continue to rise

HCM CITY — The municipal market management bureau has, as of November this year, discovered a total of 15,149 violations including counterfeit goods, illegally imported goods and banned goods, an increase of 579 cases over the same period last year.

The bureau has levied fines worth more than VND70.2 billion (US$3.5 million) in 10,284 cases.

Inspectors said that although supervision and inspections have been strengthened this year, the production and trafficking of counterfeit goods still continued in more "complicated" ways. They did not elaborate.

Bureau officials said their key task from now until the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival that falls in February, 2011 would be to carry out inspections at sales points participating in the city's price stabilisation programme. — VNS

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 15, 2011

Gov’t provides 335 bln VND for disaster-hit provinces

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 3 signed a decision to entrust the Finance Ministry to extract 335 billion VND from the State budget and 8,600 tonnes 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 Labour, 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 mobilising 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./.

Friday, January 14, 2011

120-year-old Vietnam woman may be world’s oldest

120-year-old Tran Thi Nguyet at her family home in Thua Thien Hue Province

Photo: VnExpress

If the birth year on her ID is correct, 120-year-old Tran Thi Thu Nguyet of the central Thua Thien Hue Province may be the world’s oldest living person.

The card issued in Phu Vang District shows she was born in 1890. Her neighbors call her a “treasure” for living through three centuries, the only such person in the village.

Nguyet remains in good health and does her own chores, with the only sign of her advanced age being that she is a little hard of hearing.

She had four sons who all died in the war and now has an 80-year-old daughter, 11 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-great grandchildren.

Tran Van Kham, a villager, said children enjoy playing with Nguyet.

Four generations of the family live in the same house, mainly eating fish caught in a nearby lagoon.

Tran Thi Nguyen, the wife of one of Nguyet’s grandsons, said she does not eat anything except fish. “I would make meat for her but she would refuse to eat,” she recalls.

“Fish keeps me healthy,” Nguyet said with a smile.

“Eating fish and living simply are the secrets of my long life.”

In 1994 she was honored as a “Vietnamese Heroic Mother,” a title reserved for women who lost their children or husband during the war.

Local authorities are verifying Nguyet’s ID and submitting papers pertaining to her to the Ministry of Labor and the General Population Office.

The Guinness Book of Records claims the oldest person to have ever lived was a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment who died at 122 years 164 days.

According to the book, the oldest person alive now is Eunice Sanborn of Texas, the US. But at 114, she is a full six years younger than Nguyet.

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

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Central floods wreak havoc; 34 dead

Rescuers are searching for the 19 passengers of the missing bus in Ha Tinh Province

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Prolonged heavy rains have caused floods in the country's central region, killing 34 people and leaving more than 20 missing, the National Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control reported Monday.

Fourteen victims died in Ha Tinh Province, 13 in Nghe An and seven in Quang Binh.

One person died and another two are missing after a whirlwind stuck in Thua Thien-Hue Province.

A bus carrying 37 passengers was swept away Monday morning from a section of National Highway 1A in Ha Tinh Province; 18 of the passengers were saved and the others are still missing.

Floods have submerged more than 152,000 houses in these provinces.

Chairman of Ha Tinh People's Committee Vo Kim Cu said this could be considered a historical flood season because local residents have had to cope with two large consecutive floods within the first 12 days of this month.

"The disaster has left thousands of people in the province penniless after their assets were swept away in the flood waters. They have nothing left to eat or drink," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on Monday urged localities to continue supporting people in flood-hit areas in an online meeting with authorities of provinces from Quang Ninh to Khanh Hoa.

He instructed the provinces to prepare to cope with Storm Megi which was expected to be a very strong and quick moving storm. He asked them to pay particular attention to evacuating residents from high-risk zones.

"Authorities need to instruct the owners of vessels operating offshore on how to enter storm-shelters safely and ban boats from dangerous areas," Hai said.

The National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center issued a flood and landslide warning to residents in the central provinces.

Water in many rivers has risen to dangerous levels, including the Ca River in Nghe An Province and the Ngan Sau River in Ha Tinh Province.

Prolonged heavy rains in recent days caused a severe landslide in Thua Thien-Hue Province. Nearly 200m of the Pe Ke mountain pass in A Luoi District was covered with 20,000sq.m of land and soil, blocking traffic along a section of the Ho Chi Minh Highway.

A flood-triggered landslide is also threatening nearly 300 households with more than 1,000 residents along O Loan River in Phong Thu Commune. The depth of the landslide could reach 15-20m.

Center director Bui Minh Tang said total rainfall in some areas measured nearly 1,000mm in three days.

"Heavy rains are forecast to continue in these provinces, particularly Nghe An and Thanh Hoa," he said.

The Ministry of National Defense has assigned a helicopter from Gia Lam airport in Ha Noi to Vinh City in Nghe An Province and mobilized hundreds of canoes, boats and other vehicles to facilitate emergency aid in flood-hit provinces.

The ministries of health, and agriculture and rural development continue to provide medicine and lifejackets to help people cope with the floods.

The International Red Cross on Monday appealed for more than one million dollars in aid for victims of heavy flooding in Vietnam.

Typhoon Megi is forecast to cross into the East Sea Tuesday evening with wind gusts reaching 150-183 kph.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh yesterday sent a message of condolence to authorities and the families of victims in flood-hit provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue.

He praised local authorities and relevant ministries and agencies for their efforts, and instructed them to continue mobilizing all available forces to protect the lives and assets of the people, to minimize the consequences and to prepare measures to cope with Typhoon Megi.

Urgent message

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also sent urgent messages to ministries, municipal and provincial People's Committees in flood stricken areas, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control, the National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center and the press Monday.

He assigned each unit with a concrete mission and responsibility to cope with Typhoon Megi and overcome the aftermath of the flooding.

Dung asked local authorities to continue their search for the missing, treat the wounded, provide burial services for the dead, and provide food, water and necessities to flood victims while ensuring environmental hygiene and the prevention of epidemic diseases.

He also asked relevant units to evacuate people from vulnerable areas, and ensure the safety of fishermen working offshore and tourists. He also called for the protection of reservoirs and irrigation projects, oil and gas exploitation projects at sea and the safe operation of the electricity system.

Thirty one die as floods wreak havoc

Le Thuy District's officials hand out aid to local residents. —VNA/VNS Photo Ho Cau

A part of the Ho Chi Minh Highway, which goes through Huong Khe District in Ha Tinh Province, is still deep under water. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

HA NOI — Prolonged heavy rains have caused floods in the country's central region, killing 31 people and leaving eight missing, reports the National Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control.

Thirteen victims died in Ha Tinh Province, 12 in Nghe An and five in Quang Binh.

One person died and another two are missing after a whirlwind stuck in Thua Thien-Hue Province.

A coach carrying 37 passengers was swept away yesterday morning from a section of National Highway 1A in Ha Tinh Province; 17 of the passengers were saved and the others are still missing.

Floods have submerged more than 152,000 houses in these provinces.

"The disaster has left thousands of people in the province penniless after their assets were swept away in the flood waters. They have nothing left to eat or drink," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai yesterday urged localities to continue supporting people in flood-hit areas in an online meeting with authorities of provinces from Quang Ninh to Khanh Hoa.

"Authorities need to instruct the owners of vessels operating offshore on how to enter storm-shelters safely and ban boats from dangerous areas," Hai said.

The National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre issued a flood and landslide warning to residents in the central provinces.

Water in many rivers has risen to dangerous levels, including the Ca River in Nghe An Province and the Ngan Sau River in Ha Tinh Province.

Donations for flood victims can be transferred to Viet Nam News via account numbers 001.1.37.2310047 for US dollars and 001.1.00.2310028 for Vietnamese dong at the Foreign Trade Bank of Viet Nam (Vietcombank).

All the money collected will be transferred to the Viet Nam Fatherland Front for flood victims.

A flood-triggered landslide is also threatening nearly 300 households with more than 1,000 residents along O Loan River in Phong Thu Commune. The depth of the landslide could reach 15-20m.

Centre director Bui Minh Tang said total rainfall in some areas measured nearly 1,000mm in three days.

"Heavy rains are forecast to continue in these provinces, particularly Nghe An and Thanh Hoa," he said.

The Ministry of National Defence has assigned a helicopter from Gia Lam airport in Ha Noi to Vinh City in Nghe An Province and mobilised hundreds of canoes, boats and other vehicles to facilitate emergency aid in flood-hit provinces.

The ministries of health, and agriculture and rural development continue to provide medicine and lifejackets to help people cope with the floods.

The International Red Cross yesterday appealed for more than one million dollars in aid for victims of heavy flooding in Viet Nam.

Typhoon Megi is forecast to cross into the East Sea this eveningwith wind gusts reaching 150-183kph.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh yesterday sent a message of condolence to authorities and the families of victims in flood-hit provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue.

He praised local authorities and relevant ministries and agencies for their efforts, and instructed them to continue mobilising all available forces to protect the lives and assets of the people, to minimise the consequences and to prepare measures to cope with Typhoon Megi.

Urgent message

He assigned each unit with a concrete mission and responsibility to cope with Typhoon Megi and overcome the aftermath of the flooding.

The Foreign Ministry has been assigned to send diplomatic notes to countries and territories in the region to inform Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels of the storm and to request safe shelter for those in need. — VNS

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Floods threaten central provinces, again

Water level rises in Ngan Pho river in the central Ha Tinh province on Friday

Photo: Tuoi Tre

No sooner had they recovered after the floods earlier this month, the central provinces are coping with heavy rains, with floods already slamming into several areas, threatening Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue.

In Ha Tinh, flash floods occured in Huong Son district, leaving one dead and more than 1,500 houses flooded. Heavy rains and steep hills have triggered floods, according to Nguyen Duy Trinh, chairman of Huong Son district.

The district currently has more than 410 ha of rice and 1,200 ha of maize, which were left after the recent floods, now submerged in flood waters.

In Quang Binh, heavy rains cause by a cold wave, appeared on Thursday and Friday. In Tan Hoa commune, the area which has experienced the recent history flooding, heavy rains have raised water levels in rivers and streams by 0.5 meters.

Nguyen Ngoc Giai, director of Quang Binh Bureau of Dyke and Flood Prevention, said it is forecast water may rise to alert levels, especially in big river as Kien Giang, Gianh and Nhat Le, from now until next Wednesday.

In Quang Tri, heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Thursday raised water levels in many rivers in mountainous districts such as Dakrong and Huong Hoa. Heavy downpours also occurred in the lowlands.

Water level on the Ben Hai River in Gia Voong is 42 cm more then the normal level. Heavy rains have been non-stop as of Friday evening.

In Thua Thien - Hue, a tornado left one dead, four students and a teacher seriously injured, and dozens of houses damaged in Ha Long village, Phong My commune.

The village is now being isolated, and only boats can travel there. The village’s population is mainly ethnic minorities, with 83 households of about 300 people.

"The roof of my house was blown up, and dozens of kilograms of stored rice are now totally wet," Ho Thi Dao, a Pa Hy ethnic woman, said in tears.

The tornado killed Tran Ngoc Me, an 80-year-old resident whose house was completely collapsed.

In Quang Binh, the Ho Chi Minh City Road section that goes through the districts of Tuyen Hoa, Quang Ninh and Le Thuy was severely eroded.

The road that goes through Truong Son commune was half eroded, causing traffic jams. According to the 483 Limited Company, which is repairing damaged roads, there are more than 98 landslide-affected spots in the 45-km road section that goes through the two districts of Quang Ninh and Le Thuy.

Another section of the Ho Chi Minh Road is badly eroded in A Dot - A Tep, the area from A Luoi district of Thua Thien - Hue province to Tay Giang district of Quang Nam province.

A storm is approaching the East Sea

On Friday, international meteorological forecast centers warned that a powerful storm called Megi which formed on the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean is approaching the East Sea.

Typhoon Megi was moving west-northwest at 17 kilometers per hour and is forecast to reach Luzon, the Philippines’ most populous island, within four days.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were blowing at 167 kph and may strengthen to 250 kph as it approaches the northern part of Luzon, the centers said.

That would make it a Category 5 storm, the strongest, on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale and capable of “catastrophic damage,” according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Waves in the vicinity of the storm’s eye were 6.7 meters (22 feet) high.

Megi is the name of a catfish in South Korea and is related to the feeling of getting wet, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which lists names assigned to storms in the northwest Pacific.

According to the Central Hydrometeorology Forecast Center, heavy rains occurred over the last two days in the central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Nam, with the average rainfall of 100-150mm, and 150-200mm in the provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Nam.

Currently the waters in Kien Giang, Vu Gia, and Gianh rivers are on alarming levels.

It is forecast flood waters in Quang Binh and Thua Thien - Hue rivers may rise to alert level 3; in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Nam alert level 2; and in Ca River in Nghe An alert level 1.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Flood death toll reaches 48

Thai Thi Duong, 82, is rescued by a soldier in Quang Binh's Minh Hoa District. More than 3,400 homes in the district are still deep under water. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Hung-Manh Thanh

HA NOI — The number of deaths caused by the recent floods and landslides in the central region has increased to 48, reports the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control.

In this region, 19 people were injured and 18 are still missing. Quang Binh Province is the hardest hit area with 33 deaths, 11 missing and 11 injured.

The river water levels from Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces continue to subside but 35 communes in six districts of Ha Tinh, 106 communes in six districts of Quang Binh and 1,450 houses in Thua Thien-Hue remain flooded.

As many as 41 ships with 260 fishermen aboard sank or were damaged.

Border guards at these localities informed more than 45,100 vessels and rafts with 203,414 people aboard, but failed to contact 29 boats with 204 fishermen aboard in Quang Binh province.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai (first left) visits flood victims in Ha Tinh Province's Phuong My Commune and hands out relief aid. — VNA/VNS Photo Cong Tuong

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat visited Ha Tinh Province yesterday to guide works to ease flood damage after visiting Quang Binh Province on Wednesday.

They urged local authorities to mobilise all available resources to aid the victims and ensure that no one was without food.

The province should focus on providing food and water for people in affected areas and take measures to clean the environment and treat diseases brought on by the floods, Hai said.

Around 900 houses in mountainous areas and valleys in Minh Hoa and Tuyen Hoa districts of Quang Binh remained submerged with thousands of people calling for help from their rooftops, said head of Air Force Division No 372's Regiment No C54 Nguyen Viet Hung.

So far 9,000 households in Ha Tinh, 5,000 in Quang Tri and 550 in Thua Thien-Hue have been relocated to safer areas.

A range of emergency aid measures are being undertaken. The Government has provided Ha Tinh with VND100 billion (US$5.1 million) in aid and 1,000 tonnes of rice.

The Ministry of National Defence sent seven helicopters carrying tonnes of goods, including instant noodles and clean water, for people in isolated areas in Quang Binh and transported people out of flooded areas. The ministry also sent two naval boats to search for missing vessels.

The Ministry of Health supplied provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue with medicine and life-jackets. The Viet Nam Fatherland Front planned to provide VND1.5 billion ($76,500) in aid for the provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue. The National Centre for Clean Water and Rural Sanitation has provided chemicals to help affected provinces treat contaminated water.

The Ministry of Transport quickly repaired damaged roads and National Highway 1A was completely cleared, leaving only two areas of the Ho Chi Minh Road that crosses Quang Binh blocked.

Yesterday, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former Party General Secretaries Do Muoi and Le Kha Phieu and leaders and officials of the Party Central Committee Office raised funds to help flood victims.

President Nguyen Minh Triet, former President Tran Duc Luong, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and former Vice President Truong My Hoa and leaders and officers of the President's Office also worked to raise funds on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Sinh Hung, Truong Vinh Trong and Pham Gia Khiem and leaders and officers of the Government Office did the same yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan attended the launch of a fundraising campaign held by the Ministry of Education and Training yesterday.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union raised VND116 million for flood victims. — VNS

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Emergency aid delivered to residents hit by floods

More than 60 residents in Quang Binh Province's Tan Hoa Commune are living in caves because their houses are still submerged. About 10 tonnes of food will be supplied to the province's isolated communes in the next four days. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Hung-Manh Thanh

HA NOI — Helicopters and naval rescue ships have reached residents isolated by floods in the northern central region to provide them with emergency aid, said local authorities. About 10 tonnes of food will be supplied to the province's isolated communes in the next four days.

As of yesterday, the death toll was 28; seven are still missing and nine were injured; as many as 12 fishing vessels sank and 14 others were damaged and needed rescuing, according to the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control.

Though water started receding, 82 communes in Ha Tinh Province and 52 communes in Quang Tri Province remain submerged, and many areas are still isolated due to landslides and blocked traffic.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai visited the affected areas yesterday to guide the delivery of the emergency aid.

The Government sent an urgent message requesting that local authorities in the central region immediately supply sufficient food and clean water for affected residents.

The Deputy PM required local authorities in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces to supply 110 tonnes of instant noodles and 100,000 litres of clean water to people in isolated areas.

More than 5,020 households in Quang Binh, more than 3,820 in Ha Tinh, more than 5,000 in Quang Tri and 550 in Thua Thien-Hue have been relocated to higher regions.

Ha Tinh Province's Preventive Medicine Centre Director Nguyen Van Hien said that thousands of local residents were facing the threat of epidemics, such as diarrhoea, dengue fever and skin diseases. To combat this threat, the centre supplied 200kg and 40,000 tablets of Chloramine B among other drugs to the three worst-hit districts: Huong Khe, Vu Quang and Duc Tho.

The provincial report showed that 31 health clinics were submerged and many medical tools were destroyed. The loss was initially estimated to reach more than VND5 billion (US$255,000).

Thua Thien Hue Province's Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control said 39 landslides along Ho Chi Minh Road have been cleared. The flash flood destroyed 49km of roads, hiking the traffic sector's total loss up to at least VND19 billion ($969,000).

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Center said the water levels at Ho Ho Hydroelectricity Dam and the rivers from Ha Tinh to Quang Binh provinces were receding slowly.

On Tuesday, HCM City People's Committee provided VND3.5 billion ($178,500) to five heavily-affected provinces. The Viet Nam Red Cross also provided financial support and a range of goods valued at VND2.2 billion ($112,200) for these five provinces. — VNS

Friday, November 5, 2010

Relief aids come to central flood victims

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung on Wednesday sent a dispatch ordering central Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces to bring forward the local budgets to buy instant noodles and drinks for flood-hit residents.

He said Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces need 50 tons of instant noodles and 50,000 liters of water each and Thua Thien-Hue province should be supplied with 10 tons of instant noodles.

He also asked the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control to work with the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Investment and the Government Office help the provinces pay back the money and overcome the consequences of the floods.

The same day, President of Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) Tran Ngoc Tang called on organizations and individuals nationwide to help the victims of the floods. The campaign will last until November 15, 2010.

In response to a call of VRC Central Committee, the teachers, staff and students of Hanoi National University ’s Social Science and Humanities school donated VND35 million, the US organization the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) contributed US$15,000 and the Charity Elderly Center, 100 boxes of instant noodles.

The VRCCC also decided to provide the five central flood-hit provinces with more relief aid worth VND2.2 billion.

Quang Binh and Ha Tinh province will be each provided with 1,000 boxes of supplies (including blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils and other essential appliances), 50 tents and VND150 million.

Meanwhile, Quang Tri will receive 600 boxes of goods and VND50 million and Nghe An and Thua Thien-Hue, will be handed 400 boxes of goods and VND50 million each.

Torrential rain and flash floods in the central region had killed 48 people and left 10 others missing, reported the Central Committee for Floods Prevention and Control.

Floods also submerged thousands hectares of houses, rice and industrial crops and damaged traffic, power and other infrastructural facilities.

More relief aid for central flood victims

On October 6 Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung sent a dispatch ordering central Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces to bring forward the local budgets to buy instant noodles and drinks for flood-hit residents.

He said Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces need 50 tonnes of instant noodles and 50,000 litres of water each and Thua Thien-Hue province should be supplied with 10 tonnes of instant noodles.

Also on October 6, President of Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) Tran Ngoc Tang called on organisations and individuals nationwide to help the victims of the floods. The campaign will last until November 15, 2010.

In response to a call of VRC Central Committee, the teachers, staff and students of Hanoi National University ’s Social Science and Humanities school donated 35 million VND, the US organisation the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) contributed 15,000 USD and the Charity Elderly Centre, 100 boxes of instant noodles.

The VRCCC also decided to provide the five central flood-hit provinces with more relief aid worth 2.2 billion VND.

Quang Binh and Ha Tinh province will be each provided with 1,000 boxes of supplies (including blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils and other essential appliances), 50 tents and 150 million VND.

Meanwhile, Quang Tri will receive 600 boxes of goods and 50 million VND and Nghe An and Thua Thien-Hue, will be handed 400 boxes of goods and 50 million VND each.

By 15h of Oct. 6, torrential rain and flash floods in the central region had killed 29 people and left six missing and nine injured, reported the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control.

Floods also submerged thousands hectares of houses, rice and industrial crops and damaged traffic, power and other infrastructural facilities./.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Central floods claim 28 lives

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Torrential rains brought floods and landslides to the country's central region, killing at least 28 and leaving seven still missing.

A helicopter on Tuesday arrived at Quang Binh province to distributed one ton of instant noodles to local residents stuck in the submerged areas.

The floods have destroyed thousands of hectares of rice fields and isolated thousands of households.

The latest figures from the central region show that 12 people have been killed in Quang Binh province, seven in Ha Tinh, six in Nghe An, and three in Quang Tri. Nine more people were injured and seven remain missing.

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Center said rivers from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue provinces would continue to rise. The water levels in Quang Binh Province's rivers had reached their peaks and were receding slowly.

Meteorologists warned of possible flash floods and landslides in submerged and low-lying areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue.

Director of the center Bui Minh Tang said a low pressure, which had slowly moved west-northwest, was likely to increase in the next few days and would continue to bring heavy rainfall to the region. Heavy downpours were forecast from Nghe An to Quang Tri and a cold spell was likely to occur in northern provinces in the upcoming days.

Reports from Quang Binh Province said the water level at Ho Ho Hydroelectricity Dam in Tuyen Hoa District was 1m over its peak and at risk of breaching the dam.

Chief of the secretariat of the district People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Tan said the committee had requested permission to drain some of the excess water to minimize the dam breach.

The floods submerged around 8,000 houses, 1,000 of which by more than 1m deep. Five houses collapsed and 80 per cent of schools and agencies in the area were underwater.

Heavy downpours blocked roads in many areas and isolated Tuyen Hoa, Minh Hoa, Le Thuy and Quang Ninh districts.

More than 370 households located on the flood plain had been relocated.

In Ha Tinh Province, hundreds of soldiers were sent to help evacuate nearly 2,000 households from low-lying areas with orders to pack food for at least eight days.

As many as 18 landslides along Highway No8A had occurred, blocking traffic and drainage systems in Huong Son District for hours.

Nearly 100 workers were mobilised to clear the roads and keep watch around the clock to ensure people's safety.

In Quang Tri Province, heavy rainfall destroyed 36 houses, seriously damaged two drainage systems and blocked main roads including Highway No9 and Ho Chi Minh Road.

More than 1,000ha of subsidiary crops in Thua Thien-Hue Province were swept away and hundreds of hectares of aquaculture breeding facilities flooded.

About 20,000 people may have to be evacuated from the flood-prone areas if the torrential rains do not stop in the next few days. Currently, more than 3,000 houses are submerged.

At least five fishing vessels have sunk and three fishermen are missing due to heavy rainfall and strong winds in Nghe An Province.

The Central Steering Committee for Floods and Storms told localities to re-examine residential areas in low-lying areas and relocate them if necessary. It also asked the provinces to take control on flooded roads and instruct road users and vehicles.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was requested to promptly take measures on the Ho Ho Dam to ensure the safety of surrounding households.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Floods batter central Vietnam; 18 dead and missing

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Floods have claimed 16 lives and left two missing in north central provinces as of Monday, according to the Central Committee for Floods Prevention and Control.

It said the central province of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue provinces are the hardest hit.

Ha Tinh province recorded the worst toll with four people dead and two still missing. Nghe An has reported four deaths, including two killed by lightning.

Neighboring Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces reported a combined eight deaths.

Ha Tinh’s 29 communes being isolated

Floods were still raging in the two mountainous districts of Huong Khe and Vu Quang as of late Monday. Four were confirmed dead and two missing, and more than 50,000 houses were flooded and isolated.

In Huong Khe district, thousands of houses submerged in water. The roads to 17 communes along the Ngan Sau River were completely divided.

Residents of Loc Yen commune had to use boats to travel to the town, which is around 7 kilometers away from their villages, to buy food. "We had to travel by boats over the last two days," said Tran Dinh Lam, chairman of Loc Yen Commune People’s Committee.

People in Loc Yen, Huong Do, Phuc Trach, and Huong Trach communes have another fear: the rupture of Ho Ho hydropower plant. Many people say the risk of a broken hydropower dam is growing. They are living in fear, as a "giant water bag" is hanging over the heads of more than 70,000 residents.

"People are living in panic," said Le Van Son of Huong Trach commune. On Sunday evening, they are thrilled with the information reported from the plant. When they heard the water level has decreased, people breathed a sign of relief.

According to the provincial Department of Dyke Management and Flood Control, the dam is still safe.

As of last night, Huong Khe district has reported two dead and two missing people. Flood waters have isolated 17 communes with 16,520 households.

In Vu Quang district, 12 villages have been flooded, including seven being severely flooded. A kindergarten in Duc Bong commune collapsed due to landslides. Two primary students in Huong Son district were killed by flood waters.

On Monday, Huong Khe District People's Committee distributed two tons of instant noodles and 500 bottles of water to affected residents.

Quang Binh: Gianh River submerges villages

"What a huge flooding. No predictions about the floods have been made before hand,” said Dang Tien Dung, deputy director of Quang Binh Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“The rainfall in Minh Hoa district has reached 1,171 millimeters, which is higher than the average rainfall of the whole province in a year,” he said.

Heavy rains caused sudden floods on the Gianh river. Tuyen Hoa district had to relocate 1,200 households with 4,500 inhabitants. More than 7,000 houses were flooded, and two houses in Thanh Hoa commune were washed down. Nine ships were swept away by flood waters on the river.

Riverside villages in Tuyen Hoa district were immersed in mud-like red waters. The water levels in the province's rivers had reached their peaks and were receding slowly.

The floods submerged around 8,000 houses, 1,000 of which by more than 1 meter deep. Five houses collapsed and 80 percent of schools and agencies in the area were underwater.

Heavy downpours blocked roads in many areas and isolated Tuyen Hoa, Minh Hoa, Le Thuy and Quang Ninh districts.

More than 370 households located on the flood plain had been relocated.

Floods rage in other provinces

In Quang Tri Province, heavy rainfall destroyed 36 houses, seriously damaged two drainage systems and blocked main roads including Highway No.9 and Ho Chi Minh Road.

More than 1,000 hectares of subsidiary crops in Thua Thien-Hue Province were swept away and hundreds of hectares of aquaculture breeding facilities flooded.

About 20,000 people may have to be evacuated from the flood-prone areas if the torrential rains do not stop in the next few days. Currently, more than 3,000 houses are submerged.

At least five fishing vessels have sunk and three fishermen are missing due to heavy rainfall and strong winds in Nghe An Province.

The Central Steering Committee for Floods Prevention and Control told localities to re-examine residential areas in low-lying areas and relocate them if necessary. It also asked the provinces to take control on flooded roads and instruct road users and vehicles.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was requested to promptly take measures on the Ho Ho hydropower dam to ensure the safety of surrounding households.

Meteorologists warned of possible flash floods and landslides in submerged and low-lying areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue.

Director of the center Bui Minh Tang said a low pressure, which had slowly moved west-northwest, was likely to increase in the next few days and would continue to bring heavy rainfall to the region.

Heavy downpours were forecast from Nghe An to Quang Tri and a cold spell was likely to occur in northern provinces in the upcoming days.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Floods cause death, devastation

The road connecting Trieu Giang and Trieu Phong districts to National Highway 1A in the central province of Quang Tri is submerged and impassable. — VNA/VNS Photo Ho Cau

HA NOI — Torrential rains brought floods and landslides to the country's central region, killing at least 12 and injuring four, with three people unaccounted for.

The floods have threatened thousands of hectares of rice fields and isolated thousands of households.

The latest figures from the central region show that four people have been killed in Ha Tinh Province, one in Quang Binh Province, three in Quang Tri Province and four in Nghe An Province. Four more people were injured and three remain missing.

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre said rivers from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue provinces would continue to rise. The water levels in Quang Binh Province's rivers had reached their peaks and were receding slowly.

Meteorologists warned of possible flash floods and landslides in submerged and low-lying areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue.

Director of the centre Bui Minh Tang said a low pressure, which had slowly moved west-northwest, was likely to increase in the next few days and would continue to bring heavy rainfall to the region. Heavy downpours were forecast from Nghe An to Quang Tri and a cold spell was likely to occur in northern provinces in the upcoming days.

Reports from Quang Binh Province said the water level at Ho Ho Hydroelectricity Dam in Tuyen Hoa District was 1m over its peak and at risk of breaching the dam.

Chief of the secretariat of the district People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Tan said the committee had requested permission to drain some of the excess water to minimise the dam breach.