Hanoi (VNA)⛦ - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a letterto all officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) on October 22, encouragingthem to remain steadfast.

The PM noted in the letter, sent after the death of 33 militarypersonnel while tackling natural disasters in the central region, that underthe leadership of the Party and the State, VPA officers and soldiers havealways been united, proactive, and creative in facing difficulties andchallenges. They have also made various impressive achievements, including assistingpeople in socio-economic development and poverty reduction, addressing the consequencesof natural disasters and epidemics, and conducting search and rescue efforts,the leader stressed. In particular, he said, when immersed in the havoc wreaked by the recentfloods in the central region, VPA officers and soldiers braved hardships and madetheir way to the most dangerous of places to conduct search and rescue missions. Eleven officers and soldiers, along with two officials from ThuaThien-Hue province, lost their lives in a landslide on October 13 while ontheir way to reach the Rao Trang 3 hydro power plant to locate landslidevictims. On October 18, 22 others from Economic - Defence Army 337 under MilitaryRegion 4 died while tackling the aftermath in Huong Phung, a disadvantagedborder commune in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province. PM Phuc wrote that the Party, State, and people nationwide grieve forthe sacrifice by the officers and soldiers but are also proud of the heroic VPA- an army that came into being from the people, fight for the people, and enjoyblood-and-flesh ties with the people. It is also an army absolutely faithful, trustworthyand ready to sacrifice themselves to protect the Party, the State, and the people. He expressed his hope that VPA officers and soldiers will continue to overcomethe difficulties and challenges to successfully fulfil their duties. As the flooding is forecast to linger on and remain a complex matter inthe time to come, they should enhance coordination with ministries, sectors,and local authorities to continue implementing anti-disaster measures andsearch and rescue efforts, thereby deserving the Party, State and people’strust, according to the Government leader./.