In the message, they offered deep condolences to the bereaved families and expressed belief that the Government and people of Vietnamwill soon overcome this tough challenge.
According to the Central SteeringCommittee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control,flooding that began on October 6 had killed 111 people and left 22 missingnationwide as of 7am on October 21. Some 371 ha of rice paddies have beensubmerged, 7,126 ha of crops damaged, and over 700,000 heads of cattle andpoultry killed or swept away.
The floods also inflicted substantial damage upon local agriculture,irrigation, and transport infrastructure./.