Hanoi (VNA) – Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc has asked ministries, agencies and localities to join hands tohelp people affected by typhoon Damrey stabilise their lives, considering thisan important, urgent task.

At a teleconference in Hanoi on November 6 held by the Central SteeringCommittee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the PM expressed hisdeep sympathy to families of flood victims.

He said resources and vehicles should be promptly mobilised in response tounexpected natural disasters, with special attention paid to people in Da Nangcity and Quang Nam province in the central region, which host activities of theongoing APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.

Regarding the post-flood work, the leader urged ministries, agencies andlocalities to implement policies towards flood-hit residents, search formissing persons, provide medical care for the injured and prevent diseases.

Under the PM’s decision, each of the flood-affected localities will receivefrom 100-500 tonnes of rice or more, depending on the damage they havesuffered.

According to the committee, the heavy toll exacted by typhoon Damrey, the 12th storm to hit Vietnam this year, continued to rise, with the number of deathsreaching 49 on November 6.

The latest available update from the committee also listed 27 people as missingand at least 64 others injured since November 4, when the storm made landfallin the south-central region, its impacts spreading to the central, CentralHighlands and southern regions.

It said as many as 1,358 houses in Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh and Phu Yenprovinces in the central region and the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai,Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong collapsed.

The roofs of 114,886 other houses were blown off by the typhoon’s strong winds.More than 20,000ha of crops and hundreds of kilometers of roads were damaged bythe typhoon.

The National Centre for Hydro meteorological Forecasting warned that inundationwould continue in districts of Phu Loc, Phu Vang, Huong Tra and Hue city inThua Thien-Hue province.

In Quang Nam province, the districts of DaiLoc, Duy Xuyen, Dien Ban, NghiaHanh, Mo Duc, Tu Nghia, Chau To town, and the cities of Quang Ngai and Hoi Anwould also experience continued flooding.

A similar warning applied to the districts of Van Canh and Hoai Nhon, as wellas Quy Nhon city in Binh Dinh province.

The mountainous areas of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, BinhDinh, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces have been put on high alert oflandslides.

After making its landfall in Vietnam, the typhoon weakened into a tropicallow-pressure system and entered Cambodia on November 6.

Heavy rains were forecast in the central region, from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngaiprovinces from November 6-8 due to impacts of a cold front combined with winddisturbances. -VNA