VietNamNet Bridge – A landslide this morning killed at least two people and injured five others on Len Co Mountain in Nghe An Province.


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The casualties numbers may rise but it was not known if other people were trapped under the rubble, People's Committee chairman Nguyen Tien Loi said.


Witnesses said other people mining at the Yen Thanh District site were covered in dust and dirt from the landslide which happened at 8am.


Local police, soldiers and residents were still searching for victims but they faced the risk of further landslides.


* War on drugs to gain momentum


The problems created by illegal drugs had become more complicated in recent years, placing more challenges on drug fighters, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong said yesterday, March 31.


He called for better co-ordination between relevant agencies and increased information dissemination to prevent and fight the evils.


Trong, who doubles as chairman of the National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention, made the request yesterday at a workshop reviewing a five-year drug prevention plan.


He said ministries and agencies should open campaigns to fight drug crimes in key areas and border areas, uncover foreign trafficking rings, raze drug hot spots and clear areas growing drug crops.


He said agencies and localities should raise the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation centres, provide vocational training for addicts and jobs for former drug users to reduce recidivism.

Reviewing anti-drug activities during the past five years, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le The Tiem said that agencies had made positive achievements in the fight against drugs, contributing to social order and socio-economic development.


He called for more attention to improving drug detoxification centres. At present, there are 123 centres throughout Viet Nam able to treat up to 60,000 addicts.


About 250,000 drug addicts had been treated in the past five years and more than 15,000 had found jobs.


Tiem said the evils of drugs had expanded across the country, even though the number of reported addicts had dropped from 178,305 in 2007 to 143,000 last year.


Drug addicts come from all walks of life, ranging from students to singers, models and civil servants.

Under-30-year-olds account for 68.3 per cent of addicts, with most choosing heroin and synthetic drugs. The number of drug addicts using heroin increased from 66.3 per cent in 2006 to 71 per cent last year.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News