 | Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung distributes relief aid to flood victims in Gia Pho Commune in Ha Tinh Province's Huong Khe District. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam |
 | A resident in Thuan Loc District in the central province of Ha Tinh grabs packs of noodles distributed to flood victims in the area. Every house in the district is now underwater. — VNA/VNS Photo Khuong Hue |
|
|
HA TINH — The Government will ensure there is sufficient food for those affected by floods in the central provinces, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said while visiting Ha Tinh yesterday.
After helping to distribute relief aid, the Prime Minister met provincial Party Committee officials.
Dung extended his deepest sympathies to those affected by the floods, which have caused financial losses estimated at VND700 billion (US$36 million) in 22 communes.
The Party and State would do everything to help victims quickly overcome the consequences of the disaster and normalise their lives, he said.
Dung urged the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Nghe An to continue their search and rescue operations. He urged officials to ensure flood victims had enough food and said they should mobilise all their resources to help repair houses and prevent the spread of disease.
If any province allowed its people in flooded areas to go hungry, its leaders would be held responsible to the Party and State, he said.
Ha Tinh has reported financial losses of nearly VND5.4 trillion ($270 million). Floods killed 21 people and injured 26 in the province. One person is still missing. More than 175,000 houses are still submerged.
The Prime Minister said VND660 billion had been allocated from the State budget to help flood victims. In addition, 11,000 tonnes of rice from the national reserve and five tonnes of instant noodles and dry provisions would be distributed to flood victims, he said.
The National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Ministry of National Defence have mobilised 19,000 soldiers, policemen and militiamen to help flood victims. In addition, 392 small boats, one helicopter and seven electric generators have been made available.
Yesterday, officials from the Office of the President and National Assembly deputies contributed money to flood victims.
Meanwhile, overseas Vietnamese in the US state of Texas have donated $50,000 to flood victims.
In addition, 11 international organisations have pledged emergency aid of $450,000.
According to a report by the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, the recent flood death toll were in 46. Of those, 16 deaths took place in Nghe An Province, 21 in Ha Tinh Province, eight in Quang Binh Province and one in Thanh Hoa Province.
There are still 21 people missing.
Monitoring losses
The Government on Tuesday decided to spend VND70 billion ($3.6 million) from the State budget to help flood victims in Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri.
The Prime Minister also assigned the Finance Ministry to use VND25 billion ($1.2 million) from the State budget to subsidise flood victims and help them restore their daily lives and production.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will continue monitoring losses caused by the floods in the central provinces and regularly update reports to the Government.
Deputy head of Sai Gon Railway Station Nguyen Van Thanh said the station would transport all goods donated for flood victims in the central region for free, from now until the end of October.
Typhoon Megi, the sixth of this year, is moving between northwest and north and is forecast to land in Hong Kong on Saturday, according to the National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre.
The eye of the typhoon is expected to be at 18.9 degree north and 116.9 east at 1pm today, around 540km from the northeast of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago with wind gusts of between 167-183 kph.
| Flood donations Donations for flood victims can be transferred to Viet Nam News via account numbers 001.1.37.2310047 for USD and 001.1.00.2310028 for Vietnamese dong at the Viet Nam Commercial Bank. All the money will be then transferred to the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and used to support flood victims. |
It is forecast to be at 20.8 degree north and 116.9 degree east at 1pm on Saturday, around 490km from the Southeast of Hong Kong.
The typhoon would cause force 11 and 12 Beaufort Scale gusts in the eastern part of the East Sea and waves of between 12-14m, warned the centre.
The Hoang Sa archipelago would also be affected by rough seas and strong winds.
Central Quang Ngai Province's border guard post said all local vessels operating offshore from the Hoang Sa archipelago have safely entered storm shelters.
Fog has appeared in a number of Mekong Delta localities in recent days in early morning which has shortened visibility to 50-100m.
Deputy director of Tien Giang Province's Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre Vo Van Rong said different fog spells appeared in the region as a result of typhoon Megi and would last between 2-3 days.
Deputy chairman of the Ha Tinh Province's People's Committee Nguyen Nhat said rescue workers had found the coach that was swept away in floods on Monday.
The coach, which was carrying 37 passengers, was found 300 metres away from the National Highway 1A in the Lam River.
Rescue teams are still trying to recover the coach.
Air services resume
Vietnam Airlines on Tuesday resumed normal service to the flood-battered central region.
It had suspended 34 flights from and to Chu Lai Airport in Quang Nam Province and Vinh Airport in Nghe An Province on safety grounds.
The carrier said it was monitoring information about Typhoon Megi which is now over the East Sea with winds of up to 130 kmph. It is forecast to move north to Hong Kong.
The airline has urged passengers to check its website at www.vietnamairlines.com for the latest information or contact its booking offices around the country. — VNS
Alcohol impairment is a major risk factor in Vietnam that cannot be tolerated, said the Global Road Safety Partnership, an organization working towards improving road safety.