Death toll in northern Vietnam flooding rises to 28

The ongoing downpour over the last week has claimed a total of 34 lives and caused economic losses of thousands of billions of Vietnamese dong in northern mountainous provinces, reported the National Committee for Search and Rescue on August 3.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, there is a high risk of flash floods and landslides in Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Hoa Binh.

Low-lying areas in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Bac Giang and Yen Bai are highly vulnerable to inundation.

The torrential rain continued in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong on August 4 and is forecast to fall over much of the country throughout the day.

In Dien Bien, over 230 houses and 77 water supply stations were damaged while nearly 900 hectares of rice and crops were submerged underwater.

Landslides occurred at dams in Bac Giang and on 30 sections of national and provincial highways in Lang Son.

Other provinces have also been badly affected with heavy rains washing away bridges, roads, houses and cattle in various villages.

Affected localities are working to resume traffic flow on major roads, communication and utility services and flush water out of irrigation facilities.

Quang Ninh province, which suffered the heaviest rainfall in 40 years, had opened blocked roads to traffic and fixed water spills at dams as of August 3.-VNA