It is necessary to ensure food and clean water for residents in flooded areas, especially in areas forecast to continue to flood. At the same time, the best efforts should be made to overcome the consequences of heavy rains.

The directions were made by Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang at a Saturday meeting to carry out flood response and recovery operations.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) and municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh chaired the meeting on Saturday morning. Photo: Hoang Hiep

At the meeting, Secretary Quang praised police and military personnel, shock forces and grassroots officials for their timely rescue operations to help stranded people in historic flooding, especially in areas of deep flooding and fast-flowing water.

He urged the authorities at local level to promptly encourage and reward the forces that have actively supported people in distress, as well as soon fully update the situation and damage caused by rain and flooding.

Mr. Quang stressed the need for the municipal Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Civil Defence to analyse, evaluate, draw experiences and take measures to overcome problems in the recent floods, especially forecasting and developing plans for natural disaster prevention, mobilisation of means of rescue and access to fast-flowing flooded areas to advise the city on purchasing means of vehicles for effective rescue and response to natural disasters.

The city Party chief Quang directed districts, departments, agencies and branches to focus on overcoming the aftermath of rain and floods, immediately clearing flooded areas, handling landslide points in Son Tra and Hoa Vang districts, dealing with the flooding in traffic tunnels and basements of apartment buildings.

Units and localities are asked to carry out environmental cleanups and prevent diseases after heavy rains and floods, especially in flooded residential areas.

Standing Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee cum Chairman of the People's Council Luong Nguyen Minh Triet suggested units and localities give priority to overcoming the consequences of heavy rain, especially the rescue of vehicles on roads, and issuing warning of dangerous and flooded areas in Hoa Vang District, and providing thoughtful support to needy people.

Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Trung Chinh suggested localities continue to promote the plan for natural disaster prevention and control and search and rescue under the ‘four-on-the-spot’ model.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development must coordinate with the city’s Military Command, the Border Guard Command, and the Police to soon propose a plan for firefighting, search and rescue at sea and a plan to rescue people in heavy rain and flood.

“In addition to prompt food relief and support for people damaged by heavy rain, localities should quickly propose rewards for collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in rescue work and response to heavy rains so that the municipal People's Committee can reward timely", directed Chairman Chinh.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP - Translating by M.DUNG