Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong on November 22 sent a message to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung, expressing his condolences over the human and material losses caused by recent storms and floods in the central region.

In the message, Thammavong said he believes the Vietnamese people will surmount difficulties and settle their lives soon.

Storm Podul, the 15 th of its kind ever hit Vietnam’s central region this year, and following floods have claimed at least 31 lives, left about 100,000 displaced and damaged 2,000 hectares of rice and other crops, according to the National Search and Rescue Committee.-VNA