The Search and Rescue Department of the Ministry of National Defense received a report at 3 p.m. about eight people isolated by flooding in Anh Trung village, Muong Hung commune, Son La province. The unit coordinated with the Air Defense-Air Force Service and Army Aviation to dispatch a helicopter and air rescue team.

At 3:45 p.m., the helicopter, VN-8624, departed and was expected to reach the scene at 4:50 p.m.

An army aviation helicopter delivers essential supplies to flood-affected residents in Cao Bang, 9/2024. Photo: Ministry of National Defense

Heavy rain, influenced by a low-pressure trough, fell across several areas of Son La on the night of 31/7. Rainfall from 9 p.m. yesterday to 9 a.m. today reached 137 mm in Sam Kha and 132 mm in Lang Cheu.

The flooding submerged some areas of Pung Banh commune under approximately two meters of water, isolating 10 villages and sweeping away a bridge over the Nam Cong stream leading to the Nam Cong 3 hydropower plant in Huoi Mot commune. Several households in Muong Lan, Bo Sinh, Muong Lam, Sop Cop, and Chieng Khoong communes were evacuated.

In Dien Bien province, overnight flooding and landslides resulted in three deaths and eight people missing, with numerous villages isolated. Response efforts were hampered by the terrain, landslides, and fallen trees blocking roads. Some evacuation centers lacked essential supplies, necessities, medicine, and drinking water.

Flooding in Huoi Mot commune, Son La, collapses a bridge on 1/8. Video: Thu Yen

On the afternoon of 1/8, deputy prime minister Tran Hong Ha arrived in Dien Bien and directed the Ministry of National Defense and Dien Bien province to mobilize all available resources and personnel to search for the missing, treat the injured, and evacuate people from dangerous areas.

The deputy prime minister emphasized the urgency of the search and rescue operations. He stressed the importance of assessing the condition of the injured and providing immediate medical attention to critical cases, including deploying a medical helicopter if necessary.

Authorities were instructed to quickly restore access to affected communities, provide clean water and essential supplies, and ensure no one was left without food or shelter. "What needs to be done first, do first. To achieve that, we must understand the needs of the people," he said.

Deputy prime minister Tran Hong Ha receives a report on rescue and recovery efforts following flash floods and landslides in Dien Bien, on the afternoon of 1/8. Photo: VGP

Dien Bien province was instructed to establish a forward command center, involving the provincial chairman and key departments. Operations needed to be focused, concise, clear, and address each issue promptly. The province was tasked with closely monitoring hydropower reservoirs to ensure the safety of downstream areas.

Le Thanh Do, chairman of the Dien Bien provincial People's Committee, stated that he had contacted network providers to prioritize restoring communication in key communes. He also mobilized machinery to clear roads to affected areas and restore over 95 transformer stations that had malfunctioned, causing power outages for 15,000 households.

Hoang Phuong