Vietnamese PM orders all-out rescue push as devastating floods hit central region

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an official dispatch asking authorities to step up response efforts and address the consequences of the devastating flooding in the central region, the Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.

The government approved the allocation of 700 billion Vietnamese dong (about 27.85 million U.S. dollars) to support four hard-hit provinces of Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Dak Lak, according to the report.

Chinh stressed the need to reach all isolated localities, deliver emergency food, water, and essential supplies, and evacuate residents to safe locations.

Days of intense rainfall have left the central region inundated, leaving 41 people dead and more than 67,700 houses submerged, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority.