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Jul 21, 2018 / 16:47

Thousands of people saved annualy in disasters and incidents

On July 20, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, chairman of the National Committee for responding incidents, disasters, search and rescue, presided over the meeting on accident and disaster response since 2017 and deploying tasks in the last six months of 2018.

Every year, reponse forces across the country save thousands of people in natural disasters and accidents yearly, with the lastest figure being 5,438 people over the past one year, the National Committee for incidents, disasters, search and rescue reported at the meeting.
 
Scene of the meeting. Photo: VGP/Xuan Tuyen
Scene of the meeting. Photo: VGP/Xuan Tuyen
The meeting saw the attendance of members of the committee, who are the leaders of the ministries, departments and central branches.

A report said that in 2017, weather conditions and natural disasters were complicated. During the year, there were 16 typhoons and 4 tropical low pressures formed in the East Sea, of which four storms and three tropical low pressures directly hit Vietnam. 

Particularly, local floods in some mountainous provinces in the north and in the central region caused severe flash floods and landslides in Muong La (Son La), Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai) and Tan Lac (Hoa Binh), the report said.

In the first six months of 2018, the weather and natural disasters remained complex. Thunderstorms, accompanied by hail in many localities, damaged many houses. Accidents, serious fire and explosion incidents tended to increase, causing heavy human and property losses, 
the report added.

According to statistics, in 2017 (excluding road and railway traffic accidents), there were 2,709 natural disasters and accidents (an increase of 15 cases), 997 deaths (an increase of 261 people), 275 missing people (an increase of 81 people), and 1,280 people injured (an increase of 525 people).

In the first six months of 2018, there were 1,132 natural disasters and accidents (an increase of 28 cases), 244 deaths (a decrease of 55), 104 missing people (an increase of 26), 251 people injured (a decrease of 109).

Armed forces are the core

Responding to natural disasters and incidents, the National Committee has actively coordinated with ministries and agencies to implement the propaganda on the impacts of climate change to raise awareness, proactively prevent and respond. 

The specialized units maintain ready all 24/7. When natural disasters occur, authorities at all levels have timely organized working groups to visit, give presents, encourage people to overcome difficulties.