The flooding began last Friday in the Northern provinces, where torrential rains - the heaviest in 20 years - killed 97 people and damaged more than 4,000 houses. Victims included tourists travelling in the area.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh offered his deep sympathies to flood victims in the north in a message sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, officials and people.

He called on Vietnamese soldiers and the public to demonstrate solidarity and to help one another overcome the challenges presented by recent floods.

The Party leader called on the Government to give priority to saving lives by ensuring stricken areas had adequate supplies of food and drugs. He also asked for a rebuilding plan to be quickly formulated.

Two military aeroplanes carrying 4.5 tonnes of food and water were sent to support victims in the province of Yen Bai - the area most affected by the disaster with 40 deaths and damages estimated at VND80 billion (US$4.7million).

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai offered Government support to the victims, he said the Government would charter an aircraft to transport the old and injured to Ha Noi to receive medical treatment.

At an urgent meeting held yesterday with the Central Steering Committee for Floods and Storm Control, he said that it was imperative to help people in isolated areas and evacuate others in dangerous regions as soon as possible.

Thousands of people remain trapped in the area, as landslides cut road links to outside help.

The military and militia forces are working to transport food and water to affected provinces.

The Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee allocated VND1.6 billion ($100,000) from the committee’s fund for floods, storm and natural disaster control to help flood-stricken inhabitants in northern mountainous provinces, said committee member Ha Thi Lien.

She added that Lao Cai Province would receive VND400 million, Yen Bai and Phu Tho 300 million each, and Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan 200 million each.

In the south, HCM City leaders have sent VND1 billion ($61,000) in aid to the North, and called on people to support relief efforts with donations.

The Ministry of Health has told departments in the region to give free first aid and medical treatment to victims, and asked medical staff to move into flood-hit areas to administer help. Free Chloramin B tablets and life-jackets were distributed in Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces.

National Highway No 70 re-opened yesterday, connecting Yen Bai Province with the capital, but travel was dangerous due to threat of further landslides, said Vu Van Quynh, Director of the Yen Bai Provincial Transport Department, adding that the Northern Provinces have never been isolated like this before. His counter-part in Lao Cai Province, Nguyen Ngoc Dung, said that railways and roads suffered heavily from erosion and landslides. Manpower and equipment was needed to begin re-construction, he said.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, reached Lao Cai Province yesterday, to take control of the situation. He also noted that National Highway No 70 was severely damaged and overwhelmed by traffic trying to leave the area.

Power suspended

The Northern Electricity Company estimated that total losses caused by Storm Kammuri to power networks in northern provinces reached more than VND10 billion ($625,000).

Provincial electricity companies temporarily suspended power supply to flooded areas for safety reasons.

About 100 electricity poles and one transformer were damaged while one power cable and two other transformers were under water in Lao Cai Province.

Some 4,500 electricity meters needed to be replaced in Yen Bai Province.

Phu Tho Province also lost two electricity poles and 17 transformers.

The 110kV power network was badly damaged. The company said the repairs would cost an additional dozens of billions of dong.

The company expected to resume power supply to the entire region by next Monday.

New storm predicted

While the North is dealing with the aftermath of Storm Kammuri, more bad weather is forecast to hit. A low pressure system, currently 180 km from the east sea, is predicted to hit the North with force 6-7 (39-61km per hour) winds, said the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

The Centre said it would likely hit coastal areas in Hai Phong and Thanh Hoa Provinces, and would bring more rain to Central and Northern regions. Forecasters warned the North would experience rain today.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai ordered the relevant authorities to be well-prepared for the low pressure system because the regions could suffer from additional floods.

Source: VNS