Hanoi, July 20 -- With tropical storm Wipha approaching Vietnam's northern coast, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has urged commune-level Party committees and authorities to put lives first or face accountability for any deaths or property loss due to negligence.

Addressing a national emergency meeting in Hanoi on July 20, Deputy PM Ha ordered round-the-clock operations across ministries, agencies, and local authorities, with decisions guided by hourly updates and three-hour forecasts from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

He mandated a top-to-bottom review of high-risk zones, directing officials to recalibrate disaster plans using landslide and flash flood risk maps to identify vulnerable areas and at-risk in...