Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has called for faster work on the building of the National Centre for Disaster Management and Operation, Research and Rescue.

A street in Hanoi was serious flooded after a heavy rain in 2012.

Construction of the seven-storey centre, covering about 9,000 square metres, began in December. It will cost about VND200 billion (US$9.4 million).

Hai said he wanted the centre to be in operation by the end of next year because climate and weather developments were becoming more complicated.

He said the centre was expected to minimise human loss and property damage when disasters hit.

Hai required the National Committee for Research and Rescue to co-operate with relevant agencies to ensure the centre's communication system would run smoothly in any type of disaster.

The committee was told to ask the Ministry of National Defence to allocate human forces to the centre.

Hai assigned the ministries of National Defence; Planning and Investment; and Finance to work with each other to buy equipment for the centre.

The centre, located in Long Bien District's Phuc Dong Ward in Hanoi, will be equipped with modern equipment and facilities similar to that in other disaster management centres in ASEAN nations.