The dispatch noted that since the beginning of 2025, natural disasters have claimed 29 lives and left several others missing. A total of 67 houses have collapsed, and 2,342 homes have been unroofed or damaged. In May alone, heavy rainfall, including a historic downpour in central Ha Tinh province, triggered landslides, flash floods, and flooding in various areas, resulting in casualties and significant property damage, severely affecting local livelihoods and production.
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Landslides have disrupted traffic on National Highway 4D at the section bordering Lai Chau city and Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province, due to heavy rainfall. |
As the flood and storm season is approaching, the risk of natural disasters, including storms, floods, landslides, and flash floods, remains high. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has warned of moderate to heavy rainfall across multiple regions from the evening of May 28 through May 30, with some areas expected to receive more than 250mm of rain. This increases the likelihood of landslides, flash floods, and flooding, particularly in the northern region, north-central coast, Central Highlands, and southern provinces.
In response, the PM requested ministers, heads of ministerial-level and Government agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level people’s committees to strengthen oversight, ensure timely and effective disaster preparedness and response efforts, and maintain uninterrupted operations - even amid ongoing administrative restructuring.
Leaders of provincial-level administrations were urged to take a proactive approach to directing and organizing the prevention, response, and recovery efforts in line with the “four on-the-spot” principle: on-the-spot leadership, forces, means, and logistics. The dispatch emphasizes the need for prompt, resolute, and effective action to safeguard human lives and minimize damage to public and private property.
The PM also instructed localities to urgently review and finalize response plans tailored to different types of potential disasters, especially storms, flooding, landslides, and flash floods, and to prioritize addressing vulnerabilities exposed during Typhoon Yagi in 2024.
In the dispatch, the PM also detailed the tasks for the ministers of agriculture and environment, industry and trade, construction, national defense, and public security, along with media agencies.
In particular, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment was tasked with ensuring timely dissemination of risk updates to relevant ministries, local authorities, and the public to facilitate swift and coordinated responses.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha was assigned to oversee and direct the coordinated disaster preparedness and response efforts across ministries, sectors, and localities.
Source: VNA