Many villages in Khounkham district of Laos's Khammouane province have been flooded over the past days. (Photo: VNA)Landslides on National Highway 8 ofLaos, an artery connecting central Laos with central Vietnam, on August 3triggered congestion on many stretches. As both ends of this road were hit bylandslides, a number of vehicles with many drivers and passengers werestranded. Worse still, the affected areas are in the mist of the mountains wheremobile phone signals are unavailable.
Facing that situation, the LaoMinistry of National Defence sent a rescue team led by Deputy Minister Lt. Gen.Chanthong Sonetaat to save the stranded, a representative of the Vietnamese attachéoffice in Laos told the Vietnam News Agency on late August 6.
The team reported that there were 45Vietnamese nationals on 22 automobiles trapped on the section from Km45 to Km66of National Highway 8.
As of August 5 evening, all the 45Vietnamese were saved from that area, including 35 sent to Khamkert district ofBolikhamxay province and 10 others to Khounkham district of Khammouane province.All of them are receiving care and recovering.
Meanwhile, a truck with a driver onit was under rubble, but rescuers haven’t been able to identify whether thedriver is a Lao or a Vietnamese citizen, the rescue team added.
All the coaches running from Laos toVietnam stranded in the Lao side have diverted their path to go to Vietnam throughCha Lo Border Gate in the country’s central province of Quang Binh.
On August 4, the Department of PublicWorks and Transport of Bolikhamxay province announced the temporary closure of asection of National Highway 8 that is close to Cau Treo Border Gate of Vietnam’sHa Tinh province due to landslides. It also said that authorities are strivingto resume traffic as soon as possible./.
VNA
