Dien Bien (VNA) - 💧Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh rushed to the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on August 3 afternoon to console residents and direct emergency response efforts after devastating floods and landslides killed 10 local people and injured 12 others.

With more rain forecast, the government leader urged local authorities to brace for additional flash floods and landslides. Days of relentless rainfall have battered Dien Bien, submerging over 200 ha of crops, damaging 554 homes, and triggering more than 450 points of subsidence that paralysed key roads. Preliminary estimates put the total economic loss at around 500 billion VND (19.23 million USD). In Tia Dinh commune, one of the hardest-hit areas, floodwater claimed three lives, including two children of a family, and left eight others injured and 154 homes destroyed or severely damaged. Travelling to the locality by helicopter, PM Chinh met with grieving residents, saying that the Party, State, and authorities at all levels remain committed to standing alongside affected communities during times of hardship. He ordered rapid deployment of rescue teams and equipment to reach isolated villages, prioritising medical care for the injured, support for bereaved families, and temporary housing and supplies for the displaced. He stressed the urgency of clearing landslide-blocked roads to restore access and speed up relief efforts. Later the same day, at a working session with leaders of ministries, sectors, and Dien Bien province, PM Chinh praised the locality’s proactive efforts in responding to and overcoming the consequences of recent floods, while urging its continued effective implementation of related official directives and instructions.

The Government leader underscored the need to prioritise support for affected families, including proper arrangements for funeral services for those who lost their lives and timely assistance for the injured in line with existing policy frameworks. He requested the Vietnam Fatherland Front and relevant agencies consider emergency support of 100 million VND (3,813 USD) for each of the 80 households whose homes were completely destroyed, and 30 million VND for each of the 241 households whose houses were severely damaged. The PM instructed relevant ministries, sectors, and units to swiftly repair damaged electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, restore transport routes, healthcare and educational facilities, as well as address environmental sanitation and disease prevention. Ensuring clean water supply for local communities is also deemed a priority. For the longer term, PM Chinh directed Dien Bien province to study the restructuring of crops, livestock, and its economic model, and re-plan residential areas by relocating people from high-risk landslide areas to safer locations. He also called for a thorough review of local infrastructure to locate suitable sites for building reservoirs and dams. The Government has approved emergency financial support of 200 billion VND for the province and an allocation of 100 tonnes of rice to aid its post-disaster recovery, he said. Immediately following the working session, in response to the PM’s appeal, ministries, agencies, and enterprises pledged a total of 17 billion VND to assist the province in overcoming the aftermath of the natural disasters. Also in the afternoon of August 3, Deputy PM Ho Duc Phoc visited the highland localities of central Nghe An province to console people, and inspect and direct the work of overcoming the consequences of floods.

As soon as he arrived in Nghe An, Phoc and his delegation traveled nearly 300 km to the border commune of My Ly. This is the locality that suffered the most damage due to the circulation of storm No. 3 with a total estimated damage of nearly 502 billion VND. Up to 221 houses were swept away and completely buried, while 439 others were affected. According to statistics, the circulation of storm No. 3 caused heavy rain and floods, directly affecting 35 out of 130 communes and wards of Nghe An province, causing serious damage to property and infrastructure. By 10:00 am on August 2, the estimated damage was up to more than 3.6 trillion VND. As many as 450 houses collapsed, were buried or completely swept away, while more than 5,400 others were deeply flooded. Traffic infrastructure was severely affected with 16 traffic bridges washed away or damaged and nine suspension bridges washed away. On national and provincial highways, there were 14 landslides, eight roadbeds were completely broken, and more than 52km of local roads were eroded. The floods also caused four deaths. Phoc deeply sympathised with the heavy losses and damage that the Party Organisation, administration and people of My Ly commune are suffering. At the same time, he also acknowledged and commended the proactive and determined spirit of the local Party Organisation, administration and functional forces in the work of natural disaster prevention, control and rescue. The Deputy PM also requested relevant ministries and sectors to urgently coordinate with Nghe An province to develop a comprehensive plan for emergency support and restoration of essential infrastructure such as transport, electricity, clean water, schools and medical stations, stressing the determination not to let people in border areas suffer double losses./.