PM orders measures to cope with floods in northern provinces Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued an official dispatch requesting relevant ministries, sectors and localities to proactively respond to heavy rains and subsequent floods the northern mountainous region. Flood in the northern province of Thai Nguyen (Illustrative image. In the official dispatch, the PM asked provincial People’s Committees to continue instructing the settlement of consequences caused by recent downpours and floods, focusing on finding missing people, aiding affected families and providing food and essential commodities for households whose houses were destroyed. PM Phuc urged the northern provinces to check flashflood- and landslide-prone areas and issue early warnings for local authorities and households to move to safe areas and work out evacuation plans, in addition to arranging guard forces to ensure traffic safety in deeply-flooded locations. Health workers must stand ready to prevent diseases after floods, he said. The PM ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct competent agencies and localities to keep a close watch and ensure safe operation of water reservoirs and dyke systems, and deploy measures to protect agricultural production. The Ministry of Industry and Trade was tasked to monitor and instruct the safe operation of water reservoirs and power grids, while the Ministry of Transport was requested to ensure traffic safety on highways and assist flood-affected localities in addressing traffic incidents. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was responsible for closely monitoring developments of rains and floods, promptly forecasting and informing to relevant agencies and localities to take preventive measures. The Vietnam Television and Radio of the Voice of Vietnam along with centrally-run and local mass media agencies were ordered to increase communications to help people prevent natural disasters. The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control was requested to work with ministries and localities to deal with calamities at different risk levels. According to the committee, so far rains and floods have killed 16 people, of whom four lost their lives to a landslide. Another two people are unaccounted for in Cao Bang and Ha Giang provinces.  Torrential rains and floods have also damaged 86 houses, submerged 500 hectares of paddy fields and other crops, and swept away 70,000 cubic meters of soil and rocks. Initial losses were estimated at around 20 billion VND (909,000 USD). VNA