48 Lao Cai delegates asked to be absent from the Congress to urgently go to fight floods.

Morning of September 30, at the Convention Center Lao Cai province, the 1st Provincial Party Congress, term 2025 - 2030 entered its closing session. Before the start, the Congress Secretariat said that 48 delegates from 40 delegations submitted a request for permission not to attend in order to return to the grassroots to directly direct flood response and support people to overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

The 1st Congress of Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, term 2025 - 2030 took place from September 28-30. (Photo: Lao Cai Newspaper)

Notably, the delegation of Viet Hong commune was completely absent because this locality is the epicenter of severe flooding. From the evening of September 29, the circulation storm number 10 caused very heavy rain, water from streams poured down quickly causing many villages in Viet Hong to be isolated.

Within a few hours, the water level rose from 0.5m to 3m, submerging houses, sweeping away property and forcing many households to cry for help on social networks.

Ms. HT Thiep, a resident of Ben village, said her family of eight, including children and the elderly, had to climb onto the roof to avoid the flood. About 10 other households in the village were in a similar situation.

Many households in Viet Hong commune were completely isolated due to rising floodwaters. (Photo: D.X.)

Faced with the critical situation, local authorities, police, militia, and commune officials worked through the night to deploy a rescue plan, evacuating nearly 80 households with nearly 280 people to safety.

According to preliminary statistics, the sudden rain and floods submerged 45 houses, blew off the roofs of three houses, and caused landslides in dozens of residential areas. Nearly 90 hectares of rice fields and 40 hectares of aquaculture ponds were buried, and more than 4,000 livestock and poultry were swept away. Many traffic routes, including Provincial Road 172, were temporarily cut off.

On the Red River, the water level at Lao Cai hydrological station at 6am on September 30 peaked at 83.44m, only 0.06m lower than alert level 3. At Yen Bai station, the water level rose to 34.25m, exceeding alert level 3 by 2.25m and continuing to rise slowly.

The Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Lao Cai province requested communes and wards along the Red River to immediately notify people, organizations operating on the river, along the river, aquaculture facilities, water transport vehicles and ferry terminals, and construction works to ensure safety of people and property.

Previously, the Department of Education and Training of Lao Cai province announced that all preschool, primary and vocational education students will be off school on September 30.

Educational institutions are required to continue monitoring weather developments. If the flood situation remains complicated, students will be given an additional day off from October 1 to avoid risks.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/48-dai-bieu-lao-cai-xin-vang-mat-dai-hoi-khan-cap-di-chong-lu-5060433.html