Those who died had been dispatched to rescue workers who had become trapped when a landslide hit Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant. Their bodies were later found near the hydropower plant.
Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich and Minister of Public Security General To Lam sent wreaths of flowers to pay tribute to the officials and soldiers.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung led a delegation of the Party, State, Government and National Assembly to pay tribute to the deceased.
Representatives from the Defence Ministry, Military Region 4, and authorities and people of Thua Thien – Hue province also paid last tribute to them.
Previously, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong signed decisions to posthumously confer the Bravery Order on two officials of Thua Thien Hue province, and posthumously award the Fatherland Protection Order to 11 soldiers.
The 13 people were members of a 21-strong rescue team set up on October 12 to rescue workers missing in a landslide at the Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant earlier. They stopped at Ranger Station 67 to rest for the night. A rocky landslide suddenly hit the station at midnight, and only eight of the team successfully managed to escape.
After this morning’s ceremony, the bodies of each person who perished will be transported back to their individual home towns for burial.
