Floods cause damage to many localities, VTV compares with the 'water park'

Floods caused damage to many localities, VTV compares with a 'water park' According to the Department of Flood Control and Natural Disaster Prevention, prolonged heavy rain on September 19th in the North and Central regions caused heavy damage to people, property, agricultural production, and infrastructure. As of the evening of September 19th, the floods caused 3 deaths in Phu Tho. The natural disaster also caused 6 houses to collapse, 110 houses to be damaged, and about 15,750 houses to still be flooded in Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Hanoi, and Thanh Hoa. In the agricultural sector, about 23,365 hectares of rice and other crops were flooded and damaged; 3,929 hectares of other crops and nearly 4,766 hectares of aquaculture were affected. In addition, 294 livestock and nearly 50,000 poultry were swept away. The floods also caused damage to about 572 km of canals, riverbanks, embankment, and streams in Hanoi, Phu Tho, and Thanh Hoa. In the education sector, 27 school sites were flooded, affecting teaching and learning, with Ninh Binh and Phu Tho each having 10 affected schools, and Hanoi having 7 schools. The transportation system continued to be severely affected, as of September 19th, there were still 4 landslide points causing congestion on National Highway 16 and some provincial roads in Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa. The authorities recorded 41 flooded points that disrupted traffic on national and provincial roads. Regarding hydrological changes, water levels on many rivers in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thanh Hoa are trending downwards as of the evening of September 19th. However, officials warn that the risk of flooding still exists in low-lying areas, especially in areas with slow water recession. The authorities request localities to continue closely monitoring the situation, not to be complacent even though the rain has decreased and the floodwaters are receding because the water level is still high. The rain is also believed to have caused fatalities in Hanoi. On September 20th, the Office of the Hanoi People's Committee directed the Department of Health, the Department of Home Affairs, and the People's Committee of Dong Ngac ward to focus on handling and recovering from the consequences of the death of a 2008-born student from the University of Mineralogy - Geology who died in a sewer in Vien street (Dong Ngac ward) on the evening of September 17th. The ward was also directed to clarify the content of the media reports, clarify the responsibilities of organizations and individuals, and handle them in accordance with the law (if any). Earlier, on September 18th, Vietnamese media reported finding a male body in the area of a drainage pipe leading to the Nhuệ River (Hanoi). The route in Dong Ngac ward, where the male student died in the sewer, is said to be frequently flooded when it rains, posing many risks. VTV compares flooded streets with a 'free water park' On the evening of September 17th, the severe flooding in the capital led the Hanoi Technical Infrastructure Management Center to hold a review meeting and issue a press release clarifying the causes of the widespread flooding in the area, as well as reviewing the operation plan for the drainage system. The agency believes that prolonged heavy rain caused water levels in the drainage rivers to remain high, significantly affecting the city's natural drainage capacity. The city had to activate the highest level response plan. More than 2,500 workers and over 200 vehicles were mobilized to respond, clean up, clear the flow, and manage traffic. Notably, while the people of Hanoi were struggling with widespread floods, Vietnam Television (VTV) compared the images from Trieu Khuc - one of the slowest receding areas of the capital during heavy rains - with a 'free water park'. The images posted on VTV24's official Facebook page show VTV filming children playing in the flooded area. The page also wrote: "Does anyone want to buy a ticket to go back to childhood?". The post immediately received mixed comments on social media, especially on Facebook and Threads, as it was perceived as 'flippant', 'insensitive' to the suffering of the people struggling in the flood. Some accounts even suggested that VTV was encouraging children to play with danger when the flooded streets pose many risks such as electric shocks, open manhole covers, and toxic bacteria. The incident was further criticized by many people when, during the same period, the male student from the University of Mineralogy - Geology mentioned above was swept away by the water while passing through Vien street in Hanoi. Amidst receiving many negative assessments on social media, VTV deleted the post and has not provided any further explanation. We have contacted this station and requested a comment.