Floods cause severe damage, six deaths

Floods triggered by torrential rain at the last weekend (August 1-2) killed six and injured another six in northern provinces, according to the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control (NSCDPC)’s office.

According reports from the provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Son La, Lang Son, Bac Kan, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, among the dead, two are from Lai Chau, two from Lang Son, one from Son La and one from Bac Giang. Of those injured, four are from Dien Bien and two from Lao Cai.

The torrential rain flooded, damaged or destroyed 3,500 houses, inundated 8,776 hectares of rice and damaged 852 hectares of farm land, killing 11,600 cattle and poultry.

The rain also damaged 10,781 kilometres of ditches and irrigation canals and 88 small irrigation facilities as well as busted a 30-metre section of the Cau River in Hoa Long commune, Bac Ninh city.

Landslides occurred across a number of roads and washed away 12 temporary bridges.

In an official dispatch, Prime Minister asked provincial People’s Committees and ministries to take measures to overcome the storms’ consequences.

The National Committee for Search and Rescue and provincial Steering Committees for Disaster Prevention and Control were asked to closely monitor rain and flooding risks to make timely responses according to instructions from the PM and the NSCDPC.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, rain will continue in northern provinces in the coming days but the water volume is set to decrease.-VNA