PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the supply of 4000 tonnes of rice from the national rice reserve to support flood victims in the central region.

Flood victims are given donations.

The PM on October 18 signed a decision to supply 1000 tonnes of rice to each of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

On the same day, the PM also issued directives about the search and rescue works for the landslide victims who are missing at Rao Trang Hydropower Plant 3 in Thua Thien-Hue Province and Army Economic Group 337 in Quang Tri Province to all related agencies including the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue.

The PM sent condolences to the victims’ families and sent Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and leaders of state agencies to the scene to direct the search and rescue mission.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the water level of the Kien Giang River in Quang Binh Province was very high. The water level at 12 am on October 19 stood at 473 metres, 082 metres higher than the water level during the record flood in September 1979.

In the next six hours, the water level in Kien Giang River would continue rising to 5.5 metres.

Landslides and flash floods have been warned at mountainous areas in the districts of Tuyen Hoa, Minh Hoa, Bo Trach, and Le Thuy. The river bank and road erosions have also been warned. Many areas will be under water in these areas as well as Quang Ninh and Dong Hoi City.

In the past 12 hours, the rainfall in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces was at 150-350mm. The rainfall in Ky Thuong Commune, Ha Tinh Province was as high as 586mm.

Rain continues to be forecasted for the Central Region from now to October 20. The rainfall in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh is forecasted to reach 200mm to over 400mm. The rainfall in Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue will be from 150mm to over 300mm.