Police forces urged to proactively respond to possible floods in Northwestern region

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The dispatch was sent to the steering committees for climate change response, disaster prevention and recue of the General Departments, High Commands, units under the Ministry of Public Security and the fire police departments of all Northern provinces, requiring all public security forces to be ready to respond to possible landslides and flash floods in the Northern mountainous provinces of Lai Chau, Son La, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang and Bac Kan.

Police officers helping people in floods. Photo for illustration.

To actively respond to possible landslides and flash floods caused by rains, and to minimize losses of people and property, the Steering Committee for Climate Change Response, Disaster Prevention and Rescue under the Ministry of Public Security asks all above mentioned units to:

Strictly implement dispatch 36 / CD-TW issued on August 13, 2017 by the Permanent Office of the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, and the Office of the National Committee for Search and Rescue; and directions of local authorities in response to storms, rains, floods and landslides.

Closely monitor developments of rains and floods from the mass media to actively coordinate with relevant units in ensuring safety for people and assets.

Direct traffic forces to support people in water-logged roads and dangerous areas.

Implement plans to ensure absolute safety for police-owned offices, barracks, places of detention; and key economic and political structures, which are guarded by the police force.

Implement plans to protect documents, means and working facilities of the public security forces safely.

Relevant units to be on 24/24h duty and ready to coordinate with local authorities and functional forces to provide necessities to people.

Heavy rains are forecast to drench Vietnam's Northern mountainous provinces in the next few days due to a low pressure spell and a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Tonkin, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on August 13.

Local people have been warned of the possibility of landslides and flash floods in the region.

The flooding destroyed many irrigation systems, fruit farms and rice fields in the region.

Earlier this month,  heavy rains and flash floods have taken the lives of 26 people and left 15 others missing and 27 injured in northern mountainous provinces, mostly Yen Bai, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Cao Bang, according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Son La province had the highest number of fatalities with 12 while Yen Bai had the highest number of missing persons with 13.

Torrential rains and floods also swept away and collapsed 231 houses, damaged 245 houses, submerged 338.5 hectares of rice, and made 398 households leave their homes to safer places.

The intense floods also blew away over 25,000 cubic metres of national roads, 117,706 cubic metres of provincial and district roads; damaged 145 irrigation works and 2,072 metres of river dike, causing about over 940 billion VND  in economic losses in the provinces.

Against this backdrop, the government, ministries, branches and organizations at all level have sought to assist the affected localities and people.