At noon on July 21, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Vu Duc Bieu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Phinh Commune, Dien Bien Province confirmed that due to heavy rain lasting for a long time overnight and early morning on July 21, a serious landslide occurred on Provincial Road 140.
Accordingly, a large amount of mud, soil, and rocks from the embankment overflowed, burying the entire roadbed and surface at km15+650 of Provincial Road 140 (the route from Tua Chua commune to Cirnh Phinh commune).
The landslide caused local traffic congestion, making it impossible for vehicles, especially cars, to travel through this area.
According to Mr. Bieu, immediately after receiving the information, the authorities of Tinh Phinh commune directed the Economic Department to report to the Department of Construction and the road maintenance unit to quickly mobilize machinery and human resources to handle the landslide site.
According to Mr. Tran Quang Huy - Deputy Director of Road Joint Stock Company 226 (the unit managing the route), when receiving the information, the unit has implemented remedial measures.
"Currently, vehicles can temporarily move. At the same time, the unit is coordinating with local authorities to urgently clean up" - Mr. Huy added.
To ensure people's travel, the leaders of Sinh Phinh commune instruct motorbikes to travel through the Lao Xa Phinh - Ban Pho route.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Sinh Phinh commune said: "The local government is continuing to coordinate with Road Joint Stock Company 226 to fix the problem. It is expected that the treatment will be completed around 2:00 p.m. today".
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in the past 3 hours (from 0:00 to 3:00 on July 21), Dien Bien province has had moderate to heavy rain (Song Da 53.8mm). Soil moisture models show that some areas are nearly saturated (over 85%) or have reached a saturated state.
In the next 6 hours, there is a risk of flash floods on small rivers and streams, landslides on steep slopes in the above provinces, especially in the communes/wards: Muong Tung, Muong Lay, Sin Chai, Tinh Phinh, Tua Thang.
Warning level of natural disaster risk due to flash floods, landslides, land subsidence due to heavy rain or water flow level 1.
