Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed adecision to set up a front steering committee to respond to Storm Molave, whichis forecast to make landfall in the central and south-central regions, fromThua Thien-Hue south to Khanh Hoa province, later on October 27.
Based in the central city of Da Nang, the committee is in charge ofoverseeing the efforts of sectors and localities while keeping the PM updatedon the storm’s developments.
It is led by Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Central SteeringCommittee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (CCNDPC) Trinh Dinh Dung.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, who isalso deputy head of the CCNDPC, was appointed as Dung’s deputy in the newauthority.
Members include representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD), Defence, Public Security, Natural Resources andEnvironment, Transport, Industry and Trade, and Construction, as well as the GovernmentOffice.
MARD is tasked with coordinating with Da Nang authorities in preparationfor its operations in terms of logistics and communications.
The authority will automatically dissolve after completing its mission.
The CCNDPC said Molave is as strong as Storm Damrey, which hit in 2017 andleft 123 people dead or missing while causing damage of 22 trillion VND (951.45million USD).
It is expected that at 4 am on October 28, the storm’s eye will be rightover Vietnam’s coastline, from Da Nang city to Phu Yen province, with maximumwinds of 165 km/h. Torrential downpours will blanket central localities fromOctober 27 to 29, with flooding is forecast in areas from Thua Thien-Hue toQuang Ngai./.