Torrential rain will continue in the northern mountainous region until July 15 (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)The average rainfall will range from 70 to 120 mm, reaching over 200mm in particular areas, it said.
Heavy rain and flooding over the weekend in the northern region killed seven people, including a family of four, and one person is missing.
According to the latest report of the Office of the Central Committee for Disaster Prevention, the downpour that started July 7 caused severe flooding in Thai Nguyên province, washing away a family with two children aged four and eight. The family was driving a car across a bridge in Linh Thong commune, Dinh Hoa district when the water rose quickly and swept away the vehicle.
The body of a 17-year-old boy was found on July 9 after he was washed away by the rising water the previous day when swimming across the Nam Rom River in Thanh Chan commune, Dien Bien province.
Meanwhile, in Ha Giang province, rescuers on July 9 found the bodies of two youngsters aged 13 and seven buried in a landslide hours earlier. They were residents of Zone 5 in Vinh Quang township, Hoang Su Phi district.
A resident of Quang Binh district was also washed away by the flood and remains missing. The landslide triggered by the heavy rain also injured another resident of Bac Quang district and damaged at least 70 houses across Quang Binh, Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi districts.
Authorities reported that more than 1,375 cubic metres of soil and rocks fell during the rain, blocking 26 roads connecting villages and communes in the province. The landslide also broke two irrigation facilities in Yen Minh district while two schools were buried under the rocks in Hoang Su Phi.
So far, 13 of 20 households living in Na Lau village, susceptible to landslides, have been evacuated. Evacuation efforts are still underway given that more rain was forecast in the northern region in the coming days.
Landslides in neighbouring Lao Cai province affected three houses in Muong Khuong and Bac Ha districts, while at least 17,000 cubic metres of soil fell over 23 roads. Traffic resumed on July 9, the disaster prevention committee reported.
The downpour wrecked nearly 100 ha of paddy and vegetable fields across the three mountainous provinces over the weekend, while hundreds of pigs and poultry were washed away.
Losses in Ha Giang and Lao Cai were estimated at around 3 billion VND (124,400 USD) and 2 billion VND (88,000 USD), respectively.-VNA
