Emergency meeting held to discuss solutions for responding to Typhoon Sarika.

On the morning of October 16th, in Hanoi, the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, in coordination with the National Committee for Search and Rescue, held an emergency meeting to discuss response measures.

As of this morning, border guards in coastal provinces and cities from Quang Ninh to Khanh Hoa have coordinated with local authorities and ship owners' families to inform and guide more than 134,000 vessels with 261,140 people about the developments and movement direction of Typhoon Sarika so that they can proactively take preventive measures.

According to preliminary reports from the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue, the floods have resulted in 15 deaths, 9 missing persons, and 18 injuries. Quang Binh province suffered particularly heavy casualties.

An emergency meeting was held on the morning of October 16th to discuss solutions for responding to the storm.

The delegates stated that the current priority is to simultaneously focus on treating the injured, mobilizing forces to search for missing persons, and arranging temporary accommodation for families whose homes have collapsed, been destroyed, or flooded.

Colonel Pham Van Ty, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Committee for Search and Rescue, said that rescue work in localities has been and is being carried out by various forces. The Ministry of National Defense has also issued directives instructing forces to be ready to proactively coordinate with localities to provide relief to people and respond to the storm.

"The Ministry of National Defence has issued a directive to military regions from Military Region 1 to Military Region 5, mobilizing forces from the Border Guard Command, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Engineering Corps, with an estimated deployment of nearly 4,000 officers and soldiers along with 450 vehicles and equipment of various types, ready to respond," Mr. Pham Van Ty said, and requested the Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting to regularly monitor and inform the Steering Committee, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, and localities to proactively develop plans and strategies for timely response.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang noted that Typhoon Sarika is a strong storm with a complex trajectory and wide-ranging impact, therefore localities must proactively prepare plans and not be complacent in responding, especially those localities that have been and are being heavily affected by floods in the North Central region.

The location and path of the storm.

In response to Typhoon Sarika approaching the East Sea, local authorities are urgently calling for and managing ships and boats going out to sea. They are also inspecting, reviewing, and resolutely relocating residents living in areas at risk of flash floods and landslides to safe locations.

To mitigate the effects of successive floods caused by heavy rains and storms, local authorities are proactively releasing water from reservoirs, especially those that are full or overflowing, to ensure the safety of the structures and the population.

Mr. Hoang Van Thang suggested: "At sea, relevant units should guide ships and boats to move urgently out of the dangerous area of ​​the storm, and fully inform the people about the storm's developments so that they can proactively take preventive measures. Responding to strong storms requires plans to thoroughly evacuate people in high-risk areas, especially those engaged in coastal activities such as tourism and aquaculture."

"Particular attention should be paid to reservoir issues. For small reservoirs, the General Department of Irrigation will coordinate with local authorities to discuss specific spillway plans. Before spillway release, timely information must be provided to downstream authorities so they can proactively respond. For large reservoirs, the General Department of Irrigation will coordinate with the Vietnam Electricity Group to calculate the specific amount of discharge, avoiding damage to downstream residents and infrastructure."

Regarding agricultural production, Mr. Hoang Van Thang also suggested that the Department of Crop Production issue a document to localities to ensure timely harvesting and protection of rice production. The Ministry of Industry and Trade directed the Vietnam Electricity Group to ensure the safety of dams and reservoirs, and mining activities. As for the Ministry of Transport, in addition to ensuring smooth traffic flow, attention should be paid to the mooring of transport ships.

According to VOV