Lang Son: Thousands of houses submerged in floodwaters

On the afternoon of October 8, the People's Committee of Lang Son province sent a quick report to the Government Office , the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the Ministry of Finance on the damage caused by historic floods and storm No. 11, especially the collapse of the Bac Khe 1 hydropower dam.

Children in Huu Lung commune ( Lang Son province) had to evacuate to the roof to wait for relief. Photo: NONG LOAN

According to Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen, Vice Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee, the prolonged heavy rain has caused deep flooding, landslides and isolation in many places in Lang Son. A total of nearly 3,000 households were affected (of which, 4 houses collapsed, 63 houses had landslides, thousands of other houses were flooded from 30cm to 2m). The communes of Yen Binh, Van Nham, Huu Lung, Tuan Son, That Khe, and Trang Dinh were the most severely flooded.

Floodwaters in Trang Dinh commune (Lang Son province). Photo: NONG QUOC TRONG

In addition to the damage to homes, more than 1,000 hectares of crops were flooded, 80 hectares of fruit trees were broken, and 4 hectares of forest were damaged. 9 schools were affected, many traffic routes were paralyzed with 153 landslides, and 20,000 cubic meters of rock and soil were spilled onto the roads. The floods also caused power outages and telecommunications disruptions in many areas.

On the morning of October 8, many houses in Huu Lung commune were still flooded.

Huu Lung Commune Medical Center on the morning of October 8

Notably, in Tan Tien commune, the Bac Khe 1 hydroelectric dam broke, affecting 23 households (101 people). Thanks to timely evacuation, there were no casualties. The total initial damage was estimated at about 150 billion VND.

Authorities in Lang Son province were mobilized to evacuate people from floodwaters.

Authorities in Lang Son province worked all night to rescue people.

Many places have lost power, making rescue work very difficult.

To respond, Lang Son province mobilized more than 2,000 people including 455 military officers and soldiers, 1,150 militiamen, 750 police officers... along with dozens of vehicles such as boats, cars, excavators. Working groups of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment were present at the scene to direct rescue, assist people in evacuation and provide necessities.

Today, authorities are working with local people to urgently clear rocks and soil, restore traffic, check dam safety, and provide supplies to isolated areas.

Lang Son Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Government and ministries and branches provide urgent financial support to help local people soon stabilize their lives and restore production.

PHUC VAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lang-son-hang-ngan-ngoi-nha-ngap-trong-nuoc-lu-post816912.html