Death toll of northern floods, landslides rises to seven

Hanoi (VNA) – As of 6 am on June 25 the death toll in flood and landslides rose to seven in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and Lai Chau, according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Of the victims, two were residents of Ha Giang and the rest five were from Lai Chau.

At the same time, eight people in Lai Chau went missing and five were injured after heavy rains triggered flood and landslides over the past two days.

As of 8:00am of June 25, floods and landslides destroyed 47 houses in Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Thai Nguyen and Lao Cai provinces, while damaging 246 others. As many as 525 houses were submerged by floodwater.

In Lai Chau, 391 hectares of rice and crop were affected, while 4 tonnes of rice varieties were ruined by floods as consequences of heavy rains which started on June 22.

National roads 4D and 279 connecting Lao Cai and Lai Chau were blocked by masses of soil and stones from serious landslides, causing traffic congestion. Some provincial roads of Lai Chau were also damaged.

Total losses are estimated to reach over 76.6 billion VND, with Lai Chau being the hardest hit with damages amounting to about 60 billion VND.

The committee has asked localities to drastically implement the Prime Minister’s dispatch on the prompt overcoming of flood consequences, searching for the missing, giving treatment to the injured and supporting the dead victims’ families.

In the dispatch, the PM also asked relevant ministries, sectors and localities to continue inspect areas with high risk of landslide and flashflood, ensure safety for dykes and reservoirs, make sure traffic in national routes is smooth, and regularly update information and developments of floods and disasters to people for preparations.-VNA