Hoar frost followingthe layer of 50-cm ice have killed over 200 heads of cattle and damaged800 hectares of crops in the province’s Sa Pa, Bat Xat, Muong Khuongand Bac Ha districts.
In Bat Xat’s Y Ty commune,rains have triggered landslides, uprooted trees and caused a blackoutsince the Den Sang – Y Ty electricity transmission line was damaged.Total losses in the locality are estimated at more than 16 billion VND(761,900 USD).
Meanwhile, this cold spell has causedan approximate 20 billion VND (952,400 USD) loss to Sa Pa, including131 heads of cattle killed, hundreds of hectares of crops and flowerdevastated, and electricity supply disrupted.
However, losses are predicted to mount up as the spell is forecast to linger.
The provincial People’s Committee has asked its districts to promptlycarry out measures to protect crops and livestock as well as revieweddamages to have timely assistance.
It has alsorequested the neighbouring province of Lai Chau to help Lao Cai’snearby localities to move livestock to warmer places.
There are more than 200,000 heads of cattle in Lao Cai, 50 percent of them in mountainous districts.-VNA