36 dead, 12 missing in central Vietnam floods

In addition, heavy rainfall destroyed 541 houses, submerged more than 160,784 others, and 4,000 hectares of crops, and damaged several roads and bridges, the committee said.

Local authorities have evacuated thousands of people from affected areas and flood-hit provinces like Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam.

They underlined the necessity of followinig the Prime Minister’s directions, and ensuring safe shelter for vessels and people, inspections of hydropower facilities, and relief aid for storm-hit residents.

The provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search, and Rescue reported on October 13 that the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have claimed six lives and left three people missing and seven injured.

Heavy downpour submerged more than 84,960 houses, 332 ha of vegetables, 150 ha of cassava, one hectare of fruit trees, 10 ha of land for flower cultivation, and most local roads. Rescuers have so far evacuated over 11,640 households from dangerous areas to safer ground. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who is also head of the central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, paid a working visit to inspect rescue work at the Rao Trang 3 hydropower plant in Phong Dien district.

Earlier on October 13, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh visited residents in the central province of Quang Binh, which were hard hit by floods in recent days.

Floods caused by heavy rains have left two dead in the locality and destroyed close to 15,200 houses, thousands of hectares of crops and aquaculture as well as roads and other infrastructure facilities.

The same day, the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) stated that the second batch of relief goods has been delivered to four central provinces – Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam – worth a total VND1.4 billion. A working team of the VRC Central Committee is due to travel to Thua Thien-Hue on October 14 to distribute the relief goods. Earlier, the first batch of relief goods worth nearly VND500 million was sent to the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Nam.

Meanwhile, according to the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting storm Nangka, the seventh this year, combined with cold air will cause heavy and prolonged rain, leading to severe floods in the north and north central regions in the time ahead.

The steering committee’s office said vessels and people living on floating facilities have been urged to seek safe shelter, while urgent relief aid of 4,500 tonnes of rice have been sent to support people in the central region.