The latest reports from the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control indicate that more than 80 people were injured and 10 others remain missing in the violent floodwaters. Nearly 5,800 houses collapsed and were washed away and 125,000 others are flooded.

The storm damaged 180 irrigation works, submerged more than 1,600ha of fish and shrimp breeding grounds and caused landslides on many sections of the Ho Chi Minh Highway and National Highway No1.

Heavy downpours also caused water levels on major rivers in the region to exceed the third alert level, threatening the lives of local people living nearby and in flood-prone areas.

At the monthly Cabinet meeting in Hanoi on September 30, Minister of Defence Phung Quang Thanh said that the heavy downpours have prevented helicopters reaching people in the areas completely cut off by floods.

PM Dung extended his deepest sympathy to those whose relatives had lost their lives or had their property damaged in the disaster. He said that top priority is now being given to searching for the missing, treating the injured, evacuating people from danger areas and providing relief aid to people in isolated areas to ensure no one is left hungry.

He asked the relevant ministries to restore damaged highways, railway lines and the water supply system, keep a close watch on market prices in flood-hit areas, safeguard dams and irrigation works and prepare seedlings for the next crop as soon as the floodwaters subside.

He also asked the Ministry of Health to help flood-hit areas clean up and prevent any possible outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The PM praised the ministries, agencies and local administrations for their efforts to evacuate nearly 400,000 residents from the flood-prone areas and call more than 46,000 fishing boats back to habour, thus minimising human losses.

At the meeting, PM Dung and other Cabinet members donated part of their salaries to support the storm victims. 

The same day, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu and other officials from the Party Central Committee’s Office also gave one-day salary donations to the victims.