The National Assembly held a minute of silence to pay tribute to Major General Nguyen Van Man, Deputy Commander of the 4th Military Region of Viet Nam People’s Army and other officers and soldiers who lost lives in rescue missions in central region, before the opening ceremony of its 10th working session this morning. 

Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and legislators hold a minite of silence this morning
to pay tribute to the officers and soldiers who lost lives in rescue missions
in central region, Ha Noi, October 20, 2020. Photo: VGP

Man was one of 13 members of a 21-member rescue team buried by a landslide when they were heading to the Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant construction site in Thua Thien-Hue Province’s Phong Dien District to search for 17 missing workers there.

Due to heavy rains and floods throughout the central region, they had to rest for the night at Ranger Station 67, just 13 kilometers from the reported construction site. A landslide of rocks hit the station and only eight of the 21 members managed to escape while Man and 12 others were buried.

Their bodies were found on October 15 and were taken in ambulances to the 268 Military Hospital in Hue city.

A memorial service was held for the fallen victims on October 18.

Also on October 18, another landslide hit barracks of the 4th Military Region’s unit in Quang Tri Province’s Huong Hoa District, killing 22 soldiers.

The bodies of the 22 fallen soldiers were found on October 19.

The sacrifice of fallen military officers, soldiers and those who joint rescue missions represents the symbol of courage and devotion, said Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The top legislator expressed deep condolences to families of the victims over the great human losses and heartfelt sympathy to people in flood-hit areas, calling on Vietnamese people to provide material and spiritual support and assistance to the central localities to help the residents overcome difficulties.

Floods triggered by heavy rains claimed 102 lives and 26 others were missing in central localities, official data showed.

The death toll include 48 in Quang Tri, 27 in Thua Thien-Hue, 11 in Quang Nam, four in Quang Binh, and four in Da Nang, the Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control reported Monday.

The central region has experienced a total rainfall of nearly 3,000 mm since early October, causing widespread flooding and affecting more than 135,000 in 200 communes and wards of Thua Thien Hue-Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Da Nang.

Local authorities in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue had to evacuate 28,938 out of 90,967 households to safer areas./.