Hanoi (VNA) - A delegation from the SteeringCommittee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control visited the centralprovinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh on October 29 to meet with localauthorities and discuss recovery efforts from the damage caused by StormMolave.

The storm injured 13 people, destroyed 165 houses, blewroofs off nearly 84,500 houses, caused damage to hundreds of school and officebuildings, and a large-scale power blackout, Chairman of the Quang Ngai provincialPeople’s Committee Dang Van Minh told the delegation, led by the committee’sdeputy head, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong.

It also sunk eight boats and ships docked at Anh Vinh in theisland district of Ly Son, while damaging more than 477 ha of forest anduprooting 6,000 trees around the province, he added.

He proposed the committee provide Quang Ngai with 100billion VND (4.31 million USD) in financial aid to help local people recoverlivelihoods and repair houses.

In the long term, Minh expects the steering committee andthe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to financially support theprovince in developing fishing ports, which can also serve as storm shelters.They include a 750 billion VND fishing port at Sa Huynh that can accommodateabout 1,000 fishing boats, and another in Tinh Hoa capable of berthing 500boats and costing around 400 billion VND.

He also proposed the development of a number of sea dykes inBinh Hai commune, Binh Son district, and Pho Thanh commune in Duc Pho town, toprevent erosion.

Meanwhile,five were injured and 26 fishermen went missing during the storm in Binh Dinh,while around 3,000 houses were damaged or had their roofs blown off and morethan 2,680 ha of food crops were damaged. Chairman of the provincial People’sCommittee Ho Quoc Dung estimated the total losses at 394 billion VND (17million USD).

Dungurged the Government to continue helping the province search for the missingfishermen. He asked for funding to upgrading storm shelters at local fishingports along with degrading reservoirs and the Tam Quan sea dyke. 

Speaking at meetings with officials of the two provinces,Cuong spoke highly of the provinces’ efforts to respond to Storm Molave,especially the timely evacuation of residents from dangerous areas.

He requested the provinces focus all their resources onrepairing houses, schools, and medical clinics.

The Government and the steering committee have mobilised allforces and most modern vehicles for the search for the missing fishermen, theminister said, noting that the provinces should stay prepared as more stormsare forecast to hit the central region./.