Vietnamese government orders urgent response as northern region faces heavy rain

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Saturday night signed a telegram ordering the leaders of northern provinces and relevant ministries to focus on responding to heavy rains.

On Friday night and early on Saturday morning, several provinces in the northern region experienced heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh Provinces recorded rainfall ranging from 150 to 250 millimeters.

Some locations were hit by downpours with precipitation reaching up to 305 mm.

The sudden deluge caused rapid rises in the Cau River, leading to flooding in urban areas in Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang Provinces.

The flooding and landslides have resulted in two fatalities and caused damage to homes and agricultural land.

The situation may worsen as heavy rain is forecast to continue sweeping through the region on Sunday and Monday next week, according to the national weather center.

At 11:00 pm on Saturday, the water level at Gia Bay Station in Thai Nguyen City was 0.4 meters, above alert level three.

Severe flooding may occur in low-lying areas, while mountainous areas are expected to face landslides and flash floods.

To proactively brace for heavy rain and flooding, Deputy Prime Minister Ha called on provincial People’s Committees in the northern region to provide timely and accurate information on the weather for residents to ensure safety and preparedness.

Local authorities were urged to conduct awareness campaigns to equip people with disaster response skills, especially in flood-prone and landslide-risk areas.

The provinces must mobilize forces to evacuate residents from danger zones, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.

Relief support, including food and essential supplies, must also be ensured.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, Industry and Trade, and Construction were directed to ensure the safety of irrigation and hydropower reservoirs, dike systems, agricultural infrastructure, and power infrastructure.

The Ministries of National Defense and Public Security were assigned to ready personnel and equipment to support emergency response and rescue operations as needed.