Social News 5/6 More opportunities for Can Tho to expand ties with US   US Embassy delegation take photo with delegation from Can Tho city People's Committee (Source: baocantho.com.vn) The strong diplomatic relations between the US and Vietnam are opening up opportunities for the two countries’ localities and businesses to connect and seek cooperation opportunities. The statement was made by US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink at his working session on June 4 with leaders of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on investment potential and prospects to boost collaboration between the city and US agencies, partners and enterprises. Kritenbrink said US investors want to set up comprehensive and long-term partnerships with Can Tho as it is the centre of the Mekong Delta region. The US Embassy will support Can Tho and other Mekong Delta localities to gain access to the US’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme, he said. Once joining the programme, Vietnamese businesses will have a chance to plant and develop farm produce in the US, and share and learn from US businesses’ experience in applying technology in production, he added. The diplomat also mentioned cooperation potential in rice export between the US and Can Tho firms. According to him, his country is stepping up the import of new rice varieties from Asia to meet increasing domestic demand. Therefore, Can Tho, with its quality varieties, is a leading choice for US agro-businesses in Vietnam. In the field of health, the US Embassy will propose the US Department of Health and Human Services set up an emergency operations centre (EOC) in Can Tho. The first EOC in the southern region was inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City in August 2017. If the proposal is accepted, Can Tho will play an important role in disease studies and coordinate with Ho Chi Minh City’s EOC in preventing diseases from breaking out in the southern region, he stated. Regarding environmental production and climate change response, the embassy will work with relevant offices to organise a visit for Can Tho’s scientists and researchers on the environment to US regions which have delta structure similar to the Mekong Delta so as to learn from the American country’s experience in responding to natural disasters, sea intrusion and landslides, Kritenbrink stated. The delegation will be offered a chance to visit the US’s research centres and labs to learn how the country applies advanced technologies in climate change response, he added. Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong agreed with the US Embassy’s plans and proposals, affirming that cooperation with the US is a focus of sustainable economic development and investment attraction strategies of Can Tho. Thong committed to further improving investment and business environment by intensifying administrative procedure reform and economic restructuring. He expressed his hope that the embassy will organise regular meetings between the city and US businesses and investors. USAID pledges to help Vietnam in civil judgment enforcement   At the workshop (Source: VGP) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will make every effort to assist Vietnam in improving the efficiency of civil judgment enforcement, said a USAID official.  David Anderson, director of the USAID’s state administration project, said at a workshop in Hanoi on June 4 that the agency has cooperated with the Ministry of Justice and other ministries, agencies and businesses of Vietnam to complete a legal framework for business activities. Such efforts paid off, he said, citing the World Bank’s Doing Business report which showed Vietnam jumped 14 places in the business environment rankings in 2017 compared with the previous year.  However, there remains much work to do to raise the efficiency of the settlement of contract disputes, including civil judgment enforcement, the official noted.  Other delegates at the workshop pointed out bottlenecks in regulations and administrative procedures in civil judgment enforcement.  Le Thi Kim Dung from the General Department of Civil Judgment Enforcement under the Justice Ministry mentioned sluggish settlement of complaints and prolonged enforcement due to inadequate legal documents.  Given this, she suggested issuing more legal documents to enable executors and judgment enforcement agencies to participate in or access information about the judgment process, making enforcement work easier.  Lawyer Nguyen Hung Quang underlined the need to clearly stipulate administrative procedures in civil judgment enforcement to save time and money.  He said performing administrative procedures online will improve efficiency and be welcomed by citizens and businesses.  Many experts at the workshop proposed clarifying the responsibility of agencies and organisations to coordinate in implementing the requests of civil judgment agencies, revising relevant legal regulations and popularising laws.  According to Nguyen Van Son, deputy head of the General Department of Civil Judgment Enforcement, between October 2017 and March 2018, some 635,198 civil cases were brought to court, an increase of 8.82 percent year-on-year. Action month on environmental protection launched in Binh Dinh   Participants at the launching ceremony  An action month on environmental protection was launched in the south central province of Binh Dinh on June 4, themed “Resolving pollution caused by plastic and nylon”. The event was part of activities to mark World Environment Day on June 5.  Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said the event aims to encourage people to change their daily habits to minimise the impacts of plastic and nylon waste on the environment and health.  Statistics show that each household in Vietnam uses about 1kg of nylon bags a month.  Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City each discharge about 80 tonnes of plastic waste and nylon bags into the environment each day.  Plastic bags are very difficult to decompose, polluting the soil and water environment and hindering the growth and development of plant species.  Burning plastic bags creates emissions of dioxin and furan, which harm human health, Nhan noted.  Nhan affirmed the determination to raise public awareness of the importance of preventing the pollution of plastic and nylon bags. He called on ministries, political and social organisations and citizens to work to change the bad habit, thus protecting the environment.  Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung affirmed the locality will promote action programmes to protect the environment.  The Canadian Embassy in Vietnam said about 300 million tonnes of plastics is produced globally each year, half of which is used to create single-use products like bags, bottles and straws. One million plastic bags are used every minute.  According to earthday.org, 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 1950s. The amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. 91 percent of plastics waste isn’t recycled. And since most plastics don’t biodegrade well, all that plastic waste could exist for hundreds or even thousands of years. Some 8 million metric tonnes of plastic winds up in the oceans each year. That’s enough trash to cover every foot of coast around the world with five full trash bags of plastic compounding every year. A recent international survey revealed that Vietnam is one of the five countries in the world discharging the most plastic waste, with about 1.8 million tonnes dumped each year. An Giang: meeting marks World Environment Day A meeting took place in Long Xuyen city, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, in response to World Environment Day (June 5) and a national week on clean water and rural sanitation. Beginning in 1974, the UN’s World Environment Day is now celebrated in over 100 countries. The theme for 2018 is beating plastic pollution. At the meeting, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Nguyen Thi Tuyet pointed to the fact that Vietnam disposes 12 million tonnes of waste on an annual average, which will be 20 million tonnes in 2020. Of the total waste, 2,500 tonnes are plastics, which seriously harm the land, water and air, she added. Tuyet and Vice Chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee Lam Quang Thi called for sectors, party members, public servants, VWU members and youths to take greater part in environmental protection and awareness-raising campaigns related to the issue. Thi said the national week and World Environment Day will help boost the local completion of environmental criteria in building new-style rural areas. He acknowledged good outcomes of a host of environmental campaigns by the provincial chapter of the VWU, like those calling for people to say no to single-use plastics and to build green and clean streets. After the meeting, more than 1000 youths and VWU members walked together along main streets in Long Xuyen to spread their environmental protection message. Similar meetings were also launched in other provinces and cities nationwide in response to World Environment Day (June 5). HCM City seeks stronger cooperation with Argentinean provinces    Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem on June 4 received leaders of the Argentinean provinces of Entre Rios, Cordoba and Santa Fe to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation, especially in trade and investment.  Liem said Ho Chi Minh City has organised high-level visits and trade promotion events with Argentinean provinces and cities over the past years, adding that the city’s leaders will pay a working trip to the South American country to boost ties with its localities.  He believed that both sides will have many opportunities to penetrate each other’s market as well as intensify joint work in people-to-people diplomacy, culture and sports, contributing to the enhancement of Vietnam – Argentina ties.  Vice Governor of Entre Rios province Bahl Adan Humberto, head of the delegation, introduced the potential and locations of the three provinces, saying that they have strengths in agricultural production such as nuts, dairy products, fruits, fowls, beef and pork.  He expressed the wish to seek cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese firms, especially in farm produce, economy, tourism and culture.  Leaders of the three provinces pledged to provide optimal support for Ho Chi Minh City businesses to enter the Argentinean market, and serve as a bridge connecting Ho Chi Minh City firms with nearby markets such as Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UK ties celebrated in HCM City   A ceremony to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic relations and the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II was held on June 4 by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) in collaboration with the Vietnam-UK Friendship Association (VUFA)’s chapter in Ho Chi Minh City. Chairman of the VUFA-HCM City Tran Hung Viet expressed his respect for the Queen and delivered the best wishes to her on the 92nd birthday.  Vietnam and the UK have enjoyed a fruitful relationship which has been reflected through regular exchange of high-ranking delegations, sound bilateral trade, and robust cooperation between enterprises from both sides. On the occasion, Viet thanked the UK General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and the UK Business Association in Vietnam for their close cooperation and support for the VUFA-HCM City so that it can well perform the role of connecting people from both sides in the fields of culture and education. The association committed further contributions to bolstering people-to-people exchanges between Ho Chi Minh City and the UK, helping enhance the traditional relationship between the two countries, he noticed. UK Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Ian Gibbons, for his part, thanked the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the VUFO for organising the event, highlighting that 2017 was a successful year for Vietnam-UK bilateral ties when Vietnam welcomed many delegations from the UK. More UK high-ranking officials will pay visit to Vietnam in the coming time to tighten the cooperative relations between the two countries, he said. People-to-people exchange through education is one of the most significant aspects in the bilateral ties, he underscored, lauding the VUFA-HCM City’s efforts in promoting the good friendship between the two sides. As of April 2018, Vietnam and the UK enjoyed over 2 billion USD in two-way trade, with 1.75 billion USD of which coming from Vietnamese exports. Last year, 285,000 British people visited Vietnam, including 116,000 arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, there are more than 10,000 Vietnamese students pursuing study in the UK. Blood clam farmers face losing their livelihoods   Blood clam farming in Thị Tường Lake in the southernmost province of Cà Mau. — Photo laodong.com.vn A plan to turn a lake into a nature reserve has hit a snag due to blood clam farming. Some 640 households in the three districts of Phú Tân, Cái Nước and Trần Văn Thời around Cà Mau Province’s Thị Tường Lake make a living from seafood, with 30 per cent of them involved in blood clam farming, Lao Động reports. For years, they have ignored request from the province’s authorities to remove their blood clam farm constructions so as to turn the 700ha lake into a natural reserve. New oyster farm constructions keep emerging despite warnings from authorities, as blood clam farming is their only means of earning a living. Some farmers have been making billions of đồng per year. Thái Văn Đen, a farmer in Phú Tân District who lives on the lake, earned more than VNĐ1 billion (US$43,900) in 2017 after investing VNĐ520 million ($22,800) into raising clams. Even those that were hired to raise the sea creatures for others have made good money, about VNĐ200,000 ($8.8) per day. “We know raising blood clams is banned in the province, but we don’t know how to survive without it,” said a local farmer. “We would only leave if the State deliberately wants to acquire the lake,” he said. As a result of the booming seafood business, the lake’s water surface area has sparked disputes between farmers. Some make money by selling or renting their parts of the surface to others, while some intentionally harvest blood clams from others’ farms. Farmer Thái Phước Lợi has had 20 years of experience in clam farming and owns 8ha of the lake’s water surface area. The large farm was accumulated over the years by different generations of his family. “We bought [different parts of the lake], and also sold some to other farmers,” he said. “The rental fee and purchase price of the lake’s water surface area varies, depending on the location and flow of water,” he added.   Authorities of Phú Tân District are aware of this water surface business, but they don’t know how to deal with it. “We have not been able to develop any preventive measures or effective solutions for the matter,” said Nguyễn Trường Sơn, vice chairman of the district’s People’s Committee. “There are already 60 households that make a living out of the lake in one of the district’s communes alone, not to mention people from other districts who rent parts of the lake,” he said. Turning Thị Tường Lake into a natural reserve seems a long way down the road. On the bright side, some farmers, like Thái Văn Đen in Phú Tân District, said he would consider giving up his blood clam farms to turn the plan into reality. “If such a natural reserve is proven to provide benefits for local residents, some of my farmer friends and I will be willing to move out of the lake and return our water surface area to the State,” he said.  Charity programme makes disadvantaged children’s dreams come true   Phụ Nữ (Woman) newspaper and New Zealand goat milk formula maker organise a charity event at the Tam Bình Social Welfare Centre for Children in HCM City’s Thủ Đức District. — Photo courtesy of Woman newspaper. A charity programme called Giving Mother’s Love has helped turn into reality some of the dreams of children living in 11 social welfare centres and shelters in HCM City. Đoàn Nhật Minh from the central city of Đà Nẵng, who lives in Tam Bình Social Welfare Centre for Children in Thủ Đức District, wore the uniform of a firefighter and spoke about his dream of becoming a firefighter or rescuer after watching his hometown become  flooded on television. The programme also took him to an amusement arcade for children, where one of the attractions was simulation by visitors of many different occupations. Đinh Thị Hoài Hương, an educator at Hoa Sen Shelter in Hóc Môn District, said through the programme she and her colleagues understood the dreams and thoughts of the children living in the shelter. There was a drawing and writing contest for the children to express their dreams. The two-month programme, meant for kids aged six to 14, held a review ceremony on June 2 upon completion. It was sponsored by Phụ Nữ (Woman) newspaper and New Zealand goat milk formula maker DG. According to the Department of Child Care and Protection, 156,000 out of 29 million children aged under 16 in Việt Nam are orphans.  Sports contest helps autistic children have fun   Children with autism play tug of war at a programme called Day for Angels held in HCM City.  Children with autism spectrum disorders in HCM City and neighbouring provinces competed against each other in running and swimming races, tug of war, and other sports at an event held on Saturday in the city by the Việt Nam Autism Network and the city Department of Culture and Sports. Participation in physical activities is not easy for such children because of their conditions.  Many received assistance from their parents and volunteers to help take part in the competition. Phạm Thị Kim Tâm, deputy chairwoman of the Việt Nam Autism Network, said the programme, Day for Angels, was held to create a playground for autistic children to play with each other. They gained confidence and interacted with people through the programme, she said, adding it also aimed to improve public awareness of the condition. Nguyễn Thanh Tâm, director of the city’s Integrated Education Support Centre for Children with Disabilities, said when public awareness improved, more programmes could be organised for children with autism to have a good time and socialise.  The programme gave parents of children with autism a chance to meet each other and share experiences in supporting them. Trần Quốc Bửu of Đồng Nai Province brought his six-year-old son to the event, saying he wanted to help improve his social interaction. Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer and Michael Rosanoff, assistant director of research and public health of Autism Speaks in the US, said on their website that sports and physical activities improve fitness, motor function and behaviours in individuals with autism. The social implications of participating in sports and exercise are important advantages, they said, adding that physical activity can promote self-esteem, increase general levels of happiness, and can lead to positive social outcomes, all highly beneficial for individuals with autism. Severe penalties needed to check speeding on HCM City roads: officials   Speeding is one of the major reasons for road accidents in HCM City, authorities told a review meeting held a few days ago. – Photo: Zing.vn HCM City’s Traffic Safety Committee and traffic police have called for making penalties for speeding more severe at a meeting held to review a two-month traffic campaign that had run until March 31. During the campaign, held to educate the public and clamp down on speeding, officers caught 7,368 vehicles speeding, including 2,320 private cars, 1,109 trucks, 180 buses, and 49 taxis. The number was almost a fourth up from the same period in 2017. At the meeting, held on Thursday, traffic police officials said they faced many difficulties in tackling speeding, especially due to the poor quality and obsolete speed guns. “When drivers are stopped, they ask to see the images and speeds recorded, but due to the poor quality, [they] are not clear and it takes us a lot of time to deal with them,” an official said. They suggested that drivers should be asked to verify the data when they come to pay the fine and not on the road. A traffic police official from District 3 said speeding was the main reason many accidents occur in his district. Nguyễn Văn Thương, deputy head of the Road and Railway Traffic Police Division, was quoted as saying by Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper: “In Bình Chánh District, 12 roads have been allowed to increase speed limits and it leads to serious violations.” The Department of Transport promised to review the traffic situation and adjust speed limits. The Traffic Safety Committee announced it would closely co-operate with relevant authorities to patrol and detect speeding and penalise drivers. “Fines should be increased significantly for speeding violations to reduce accidents,” a representative of the committee said. MOLISA and Bloomberg join hands to prevent child drowning   Representatives pose for a photo at the cooperation agreement signing ceremony.  A cooperation agreement on child drowning prevention has been signed between the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the Bloomberg philanthropy. Speaking at the signing ceremony on Friday afternoon, MOLISA Deputy Minister Nguyễn Thị Hà said that in the period of 2010-13, about 2,800 children drowned every year. The number of child drowning cases decreased in the period of 2015-17, with about 2,000 cases annually. “However, the number remains high and drowning is the biggest cause of fatalities in children. Studies show that Vietnamese children drowning at rates higher than in other Southeast Asian countries and eight times higher than in developed countries,” said Hà. Families’ and community’s awareness of the issue was limited, she said. Supervision of children, especially in rural and poor remote areas, is often limited as they play outside. Localities lack swimming teachers and infrastructure for teaching the skill, so children don’t know how to be safe near water and their surroundings contain many latent risks. Deputy Minister Hà said that during the past few years, different organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the Bloomberg philanthropy have actively supported Việt Nam in preventing child drowning. Hà expressed her belief that in the future, with help from the organisations, child drowning prevention projects will be implemented effectively in different provinces and cities. Kelly Larson, director of the public health programme under the Bloomberg philanthropy, said that since 2012, the philanthropy had assisted child drowning prevention programmes in Bangladesh and Philippines. The programmes have been conducted well in the two countries over the past five years. Larson said she hopes that with cooperation between MOLISA and the Bloomberg, the work of child drowning prevention would achieve effective results. 13th Hoa phượng đỏ summer campaign kicks off   Students in the Hoa phượng đỏ summer campaign in HCM City learn new things at a science booth.  The 13th Hoa phượng đỏ (Red Flamboyant) summer campaign officially began on June 3 in HCM City with thousands of students taking part in enriching activities, meeting new friends and learning valuable experiences.                                                The campaign activities include cleaning the city, learning various skills and taking part in charitable activities for the disadvantaged, all of which help students experience the real world and learn life skills. More than 40,000 HCM City students and teachers are taking part in the annual campaign. Nguyễn Tất Toàn, member of the Executive Committee of Hoa phượng đỏ, said: “The campaign aims to enrich the lives of students and teachers, promote the spirit of volunteering, and provide students with opportunities to learn life skills and become more mature.” The opening event at District 1’s HCM City Youth Culture House attracted around 3,000 students and young teachers from 24 districts in HCM City. There were booths for science projects, calligraphy lessons, traditional music, and presentations on life skills such as self-defence and sexual health, all of which were crowded with students eager to learn new things. Some members of the campaign also spent Sunday morning cleaning the streets off rubbish and inappropriately placed posters in several districts. Toàn said that this year the campaign would have more activities for disadvantaged  children, visits to poor households, and fundraising events. The campaign will also organise fairs, field trips, presentations and other events to help students learn about science, robots, foreign languages, safety skills and other everyday skills.     This year the campaign aims to attract an additional 5,000 members. Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh, a 10th grader from Trần Đại Nghĩa High School for the Gifted, said: “I joined the campaign this year because I can take part in many great activities like helping kids and gain experiences. And this is also a great opportunity to hang out with my peers from other schools.” “I have taken part in the campaign for three years and its activities such as helping poor people and children and learning about our history. My communication skills have improved and I am not as shy as before.” said Phạm Lê Gia Khiêm, a 12th grader from Hoàng Hoa Thám High School. Thái Thanh Thanh, a 10th grader from Bình Phú High School, said: “We had a presentation on self-defence, which was very persuasive and can help us protect ourselves against assailants. The campaign’s other activities also help me broaden my perspective and network, as well as provide me with knowledge, public speaking skills and other skills, which can be useful for my future career in media.”  ‘New-style’ Sóc Trăng cooperatives yields higher profits for farmers   A king-orange orchard at Đại Đoàn Kết Fruit Co-operative in Sóc Trăng Province’s Kế Sách District follows VietGAP standards. - Photo baosoctrang.org.vn Agricultural cooperatives applying Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) in Sóc Trăng Province are offering sustainable incomes for member farmers.  The “new-style” agricultural cooperatives include Phước An Agricultural Co-operative in Châu Thành District, Đại Đoàn Kết Fruit Co-operative in Kế Sách District, Kế Thành Năm Roi Grapefruit and Green-Peel and Pink Flesh Grapefruit Co-operative in Kế Sách District, Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative in Vĩnh Châu Town. Đặng Văn Nám, director of the Kế Thành Năm Roi Grapefruit and Green-Peel and Pink Flesh Grapefruit Co-operative, said the co-operative has 15 members that plant a total of 25ha of grapefruit. Of the figure, 12 ha of green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit have borne fruit, while the remaining areas of Năm Roi, as well as green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit, have not yet produced fruit. Each hectare of green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit has an annual yield of 45 tonnes and offers a profit of VNĐ1billion (US$44,000), Nám said. Established in 2015, the co-operative’s green-peel and pink flesh grapefruit have received certification for VietGAP standards. The Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative, which was established last May, has more than 30 members who breed 40ha of shrimp under VietGAP and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards. Mai Văn Đấu, director of the Toàn Thắng Fishery Co-operative, said: “The co-operative is determined to produce clean products to meet market demand.” A company guarantees to buy the co-operative’s products at a price 5-10 per cent higher than the market price. The co-operative harvests about 150 tonnes of shrimp a year and earns a profit of VNĐ250 million ($11,000) per ha. "The application of VietGAP standards has reduced production costs, increased profits and produced clean shrimp," Đấu said. The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has 137 agricultural co-operatives, an increase of 26 co-operatives against the same period last year. Most agricultural co-operatives are small but with the support of local authorities, have provided support for their members, including large-scale fields for production to reduce production costs. They have also helped members find outlets for their products. The Đại Đoàn Kết Fruit Co-operative, for instance, buys oranges from its members and transports them to the Thủ Đức Wholesale Agriculture Market in HCM City to sell. The co-operative’s 24 members are planting 42ha of oranges, and produce about 30 tonnes of orange a month. Huỳnh Ngọc Vân, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said co-operatives had been working effectively by supporting member farmers, helping them access new seed varieties, farming techniques, and market information and outlets. The province will offer training for staff at co-operatives and find outlets for co-operative members, he said. HCM City improves childcare services to poor, disadvantaged   A child plays a game at the launch ceremony for National Action Month for Children 2018 and “Day for Love Connection and Summer Entertainment for Children” held on Friday in HCM City.  HCM City is striving to build an environment in which all children can reach their full potential, particularly those most in need, according to the city’s standing board of children protection and care. The city has allocated funds for large entertainment works and playgrounds for children, schools, and health facilities to meet demand, Trần Ngọc Sơn, the board’s deputy head and vice director of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Sơn spoke at a launching ceremony for National Action Month for Children 2018 and “Day for Love Connection and Summer Entertainment for Children” held on Friday in HCM City. The city has called on the private sector and community to ensure protection for children, especially those who are disadvantaged, Sơn said. However, challenges remain, particularly for care of poor or disadvantaged youth. The action month aims to improve public awareness on the responsibility for protection, care and education of all children, and the prevention of sexual abuse and violence against children in cyberspace. During the action month, the city will offer entertainment activities for children with financial difficulties and those living at social welfare shelters. The month also marks International Children’s Day which falls on June 1. Children who attended the launching ceremony played games and were presented with gifts. On June 2 and 3, the city Public Health Association, in co-operation with the Department of Health, Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union and Đầm Sen Park, will organise a programme to discuss children’s healthcare. Petrol tanker engulfed in flames   The tanker was destroyed along with the motorcycles parked nearby.—Photo giadinhvietnam.com A tanker burst into flames while refuelling a petrol station in Cần Thơ Province yesterday. Firefighters spent half an hour getting the blaze under control. Unfortunately, the driver of the tanker sustained serious burns. The fire started around 12:00 pm at Gas station No. 3 on Nguyễn Văn Cừ Road, Ninh Kiều District, Cần Thơ Province. Fortunately, the fuel in the tanker didn’t leak, and the petrol station was spared from serious damage. However, the tanker was destroyed along with several motorcycles parked nearby. The injured driver was rushed to nearby Cần Thơ Medical University Hospital for treatment. The fire fighting force continued to monitor the area and is currently investigating the cause of the incident.  VNN