Hanoi (VNA) –Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a dispatch asking relevantministries, sectors and localities to focus resources on search and rescue alongwith activities to overcome flood consequences in northern mountainous andmidland provinces.

As from June 22 night,the provinces suffered heavy rains and serious landslides, causing losses inhuman lives and property, especially in Lai Chau and Ha Giang. By late June 24,localities reported five deaths and eight people missing.

The Government leader sentdeepest sympathy to families of the victims, and required local authorities tosupport affected families, and providing safe shelter and food to locals.

Localities were alsoasked to continue inspect areas with high risk of landslide and flashflood inorder to timely issue warning and evacuate locals to safer places.

The National Committeefor Disaster Response, Search and Rescue, the Ministry of Defence and Ministryof Public Security were assigned to direct forces based in the localities toengage in coping with disaster aftermath.

Meanwhile, Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development and Ministries of Industry and Trade wererequested to ensure safety for dykes and reservoirs, while the Ministry ofTransport must direct the rapid settlement of landslides to make sure trafficin national routes is smooth.

The Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment was asked to regularly update information anddevelopments of floods and disasters to people for preparations.

According to theSteering Committee for Natural Disaster Response, Search and Rescue of Lai Chauprovince, as of 21:00 of June 24, three persons died and eight others wentmissing during flood in the locality, while property losses mounted to about 60billion VND.

In Than Uyen, TanUyen, Sin Ho and Tam Duong districts, floods drowned over 200 hectares of ricefarm, swept away 100 hectares of maize and more than 7 hectares of fish farm, anddamaged 20 water and irrigation works. Landslides left over 500,000 cubicmetres of soil blocking many roads and isolating about 20 households in Nam Cayvillage of Xa De Phin communes, Sin Ho district.

Meanwhile in Ha Giang,two people in Quan Ba district died as their house collapsed due to flood,while nearly 400 houses in Ha Giang city were completely submerged infloodwater.

Many transportationroutes have been blocked, isolating many localities.

At the same time, BacKan province also severely suffered from torrential rains, floods andlandslides. Initial reports showed that 7 hectares of rice and maize weresunken in flood water, while about 0.4 hectares of aquatic farm with about600kg of fish was swept away, along with about 0.1 hectares of maize farm. Totallosses have reached about 300 million VND.-VNA