Great efforts after the storm passed.

(Baonghean) - The direct landfall of Typhoon No. 2 in Nghe An province was not an "unusual" event for the local government and people, as Nghe An had not suffered the devastation of early-season typhoons for decades. This "non-unusual" outcome was due to the coordinated response efforts, from raising public awareness through public campaigns to the serious implementation of tasks by all levels of government and relevant agencies.

TAccording to a quick report from the Provincial People's Committee to the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control on the direction of response and recovery from Typhoon No. 2, as of 3 PM on July 17, 2017, the search and rescue forces for the 13 crew members of the cargo ship VTB 26, which was in distress while anchored in the area of ​​Ngư Island, have rescued 7 crew members and recovered 2 bodies.

Regarding the operation of irrigation reservoirs, for the two large reservoirs, Vuc Mau and Song Sao, one gate will be opened initially at 0.5m, and further opening will be done depending on the water inflow into the reservoir.

Officers and soldiers of the Tuong Duong District Military Command, along with officials from Tam Thai commune, help local people secure fish cages during the flood. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Regarding transportation infrastructure, heavy rains have caused landslides, siltation, and damage to transportation infrastructure on many national and provincial roads. The Department of Transportation has directed its management and maintenance units to continue inspecting the routes under their management and to address the damage caused by the rain and storms. Simultaneously, they are coordinating with traffic inspectors and local authorities to reroute traffic and ensure safety on these routes. In particular, the Thanh Nam suspension bridge at Km27+950 (Bong Khe commune, Con Cuong district) over the Lam River has been closed to traffic.

Regarding initial damage, according to quick reports from the People's Committees of 18 out of 21 districts, cities, and towns: 35 houses collapsed; 186 houses had their roofs blown off or were severely damaged; 3,616 houses had their roofs blown off or were slightly damaged; 7 houses were at risk of flooding; 13 houses were flooded; 7 households had to relocate their belongings; 640 kiosks had their roofs blown off or were damaged; 3 houses had to be urgently relocated; 14 houses were affected by landslides; 8 houses were crushed by trees; 20,969 meters of fences and 150 meters of shade structures were blown off or damaged; 550 advertising signs were knocked down or broken; 300 auxiliary structures, livestock facilities, and farm guard houses had their roofs blown off or walls collapsed. 26 schools were affected by the storm; 156 classrooms had their roofs blown off or were damaged...

Forces in Tan Ky district are working to mitigate the aftermath of the storm and floods. Photo: Cam Tu

Regarding agriculture and forestry: 6,130.3 hectares of rice fields were flooded, with 5,809.3 hectares damaged. 8,311.2 hectares of corn and other vegetables were damaged. 30,459 hectares of perennial crops were damaged. 3,308.55 hectares of annual crops were damaged. 1,683.5 hectares of fruit trees were damaged. 500 hectares of forest were damaged. 43 hectares of planted forest were damaged. 82,554 trees were felled or broken.

In the livestock sector, 464 head of cattle and 6,856 head of poultry were killed or swept away; 42 barns and shelters were damaged.

Canals and ditches were eroded and buried: 7,080 meters; 16 inland culverts and 3 temporary dams were swept away; 5 spillways and temporary bridges, and 400 meters of river embankment were damaged by landslides... The area of ​​small ponds and lakes used for aquaculture was damaged by 303.39 hectares; 1 fishing vessel with a capacity of 48 HP sank, and 3 small boats were damaged.

Regarding communication equipment, 12 broadcasting poles were broken, and 5 loudspeakers were damaged. 2,571 power poles were knocked down or broken, 15,000 meters of power lines were severed, and 3 transformer stations were damaged... Six government offices and cultural centers were destroyed or had their roofs blown off...

Continuing to strictly implement the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung at the online meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control on the morning of July 17, 2017, regarding the remediation of the consequences of Typhoon No. 2, the province focused on decisively directing the search and rescue of the VTB 26 vessel that met with an accident off the coast of Cua Lo; urgently deploying measures to mitigate the damage caused by the storm, such as: visiting families of those who died or were injured, providing assistance to those whose houses were destroyed or damaged to stabilize people's lives and restore production; compiling statistics on the damage caused by the storm and floods; focusing on addressing traffic congestion caused by landslides; guiding traffic and ensuring safety for people in flooded areas, crossing streams and ferry crossings; and handling environmental sanitation after the storm,...

Closely monitor the rainfall and flooding situation after the storm to proactively evacuate and relocate residents in low-lying coastal areas, river mouths, areas at risk of flash floods and landslides, and downstream areas of reservoirs and dams according to the scenarios developed in the provincial and local disaster prevention plans to ensure the safety of people and property. Inspect and ensure the safety of structures, especially those under construction; dikes, reservoirs, and hydropower plants, particularly vulnerable reservoirs. Deploy forces and equipment in vulnerable areas to be ready for rescue and relief operations in case of incidents. Organize 24/7 duty shifts to proactively monitor the situation and have timely response plans based on the "four on-the-spot" principle.

Quynh Thuan Border Guard Post (Quynh Luu District) helps people repair their houses after the storm. Photo: Hung Phong

To proactively deal with the situation of heavy rain and flooding, especially flash floods and landslides that may occur, in recent days, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district has developed plans and assigned permanent forces to key areas to help ensure the safety of people and property.

SOn the morning of July 18th, at the Nghe An Maritime Authority's representative office in Cua Lo, a tense atmosphere enveloped the meeting room of the forward command post for search and rescue operations. Four crew members of the VTB 26 vessel, carrying 4,700 tons of coal, which capsized while sheltering from the storm near Ngu Island, were still missing. Of the seven people and two bodies recovered, the authorities have identified them.

At the morning meeting, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Thong and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong held a quick consultation and exchange with the Steering Committee on rescue plans. Accordingly, more fishing boats will be mobilized and added to the rescue effort at sea, while expanding the search area. The rescue force will use the American Sarops software to determine the location of currents, combined with local folk knowledge, to search for the crew members.

Meanwhile, authorities are continuing coordinated search efforts along the shorelines of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, as well as on the rocky reefs of Ngu Island. At the meeting, the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that they will continue to direct local authorities, relevant units, and coastal fishermen to actively participate in and support the search operation.

Also on the morning of July 18th, a team of divers from Nghe An province went directly to the sunken ship area to survey the site and plan a search for crew members who might still be trapped inside. However, after the survey, the diving team stated that because the ship was in the middle of an ocean current, with swirling waves around it and murky water, they could not yet conduct a search inside the ship's hull. That afternoon, a team of professional divers with experience in ship salvage from Hai Phong arrived in Cua Lo to conduct a survey and plan the search for victims this morning (July 19th). Simultaneously, a team of divers from Da Nang also arrived and will monitor the situation, ready to participate in the search and rescue operation if necessary.

As of 7 PM on July 18th, no more crew members had been found. Fishing vessels and cargo ships were ordered to return to shore. However, vessels from the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, the Coast Guard, and the Border Guard of the province continued the search and rescue operation. “According to the plan issued by the Search and Rescue Steering Committee, this morning (July 19th), authorities organized diving to search for the missing crew members in the area where the ship sank. If the crew members of the VTB 26 are not found, or not all of them are found, then two pairs of trawlers will be mobilized to sweep the underwater area,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center.

During the day, in addition to visiting the rescued and treated crew members, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Sang, Director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, presented gifts from the Ministry of Transport to the relatives of the missing crew members. Mr. Nguyen Van Thong, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Mr. Dinh Viet Hong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, personally visited Cua Lo General Hospital to inquire about the health and encourage the rescued crew members. The crew members are currently recovering well and expressed their gratitude for the concern and encouragement from the leaders of Nghe An province.

Power company workers in Nghi Loc district are fixing a power outage in the area. Photo: Chau Lan.

Given the complex weather developments, especially to prevent negative weather phenomena such as flash floods, landslides, and inundation, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District has directed departments and agencies to implement the "four on-the-spot" plan to minimize damage to people and property caused by rain and storms. At the same time, it has urged communes to proactively drain water to ensure the safety of rice and other crops. The People's Committee has also inspected and developed plans to ensure the safety of reservoirs, irrigation dams, construction sites, and projects undergoing repairs; and deployed personnel 24/7 to monitor and ensure the safety of people and vehicles at flooded areas, sections of roads, and areas at risk of landslides. Mr. Lo Kham Kha, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Tuong Duong District, said: “To promptly direct and mitigate the consequences when adverse situations occur, the Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue has sent members to all communes and towns in the district. Through inspection, it was found that all agencies, departments, and communes have assigned officials to take turns on duty 24/7.”

Immediately after the storm passed, Anh Son district established teams to directly inspect and assess the situation at the grassroots level, directing remedial measures such as requiring the District Flood and Storm Control Command to implement all measures to mitigate the consequences; local authorities mobilized all forces to help families whose houses were damaged to move to safe locations and quickly stabilize their lives. The agricultural sector and other functional agencies intensified their efforts in directing and disseminating information to farmers on technical measures for caring for and protecting flooded rice crops and other crops, as well as damaged fruit trees; clearing drainage systems in residential areas, ensuring environmental hygiene, and preventing disease outbreaks; clearing roads blocked by fallen trees, and coordinating with the electricity sector to repair damaged power lines. The total damage in Con Cuong district is estimated at approximately 20 billion VND.

Con Cuong District has postponed the 3rd session of the 19th term of the District People's Council to focus on directing and addressing the consequences of the storm, as well as proactively preparing and responding if heavy rains are caused by the storm's remnants. The District Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue Command has assigned working groups to inspect and direct flood prevention and response efforts, minimizing damage. Immediately after the storm passed, local authorities and people cleared fallen trees, reopened roads, repaired houses, and carried out general environmental sanitation in flooded areas to prevent potential outbreaks of disease among people and livestock. Measures to restore agricultural production and rescue efforts are also being implemented.

In Que Phong district, the communes of Tri Le, Nam Giai, and Thong Thu had 220 houses with damaged roofs, and 8 houses completely collapsed (including 3 temporary houses), with total damages estimated at nearly 5 billion VND. Many sections of roads, bridges over streams, and community cultural centers were damaged. Serious landslides occurred along both banks of the Nam Piet stream, and the houses of 10 households living along the stream are at risk of landslides. The district directed the relocation of people and belongings to safe places. Tien Phong commune, although not directly affected by the storm, experienced heavy and continuous rain, with water flowing from upstream flooding hundreds of hectares of rice and other crops; 75 trucks were swept away by the flood, and nearly 80 hectares of newly planted rice were flooded and covered with silt. Many sections of the road from Na Sanh to Xop Sanh were severely damaged... Due to the storm, Que Phong district postponed the 3rd session of the 18th term of the District People's Council to prioritize directing the khắc phục hậu quả of typhoon No. 2...

Reporters' Team