Authorities in several northern and central provinces of Vietnam are exerting efforts to overcome consequences of heavy rains and whirlwinds which have hit the provinces over the past days, causing severe property damages.

In the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, an 8-month-old child in Nam Ha village, Noong Heo commune, Sin Ho district, was killed by a house collapse resulted from heavy rains and strong whirlwinds and heavy rains between April 30 and May 2. The natural disaster also injured another in Tam Duong district.

Heavy rains and whirlwinds during the past days destroyed nearly 4,400 houses and damaged more than 400 hectares of rice and other crops in the neighbouring province of Yen Bai, causing total estimated losses up to dozens of billions of VND.

The local authorities have immediately sent forces to the spots to help affected residents deal with aftermaths and soon stabilise their lives. Van Yen district provided 5 million VND to each household with home completely collapsed. To date, 12 out of 14 completely collapsed houses in the district have been rebuilt.

Meanwhile, northern mountainous Son La province has set up working teams to help people in whirlwind-hit areas to surmount consequences. The local authorities provided 10 million VND to each household to reconstruct their houses.

According to the province's flood and storm prevention office, whirlwinds and heavy rains in late April and early May injured five people and caused a material loss of over 7 billion VND.

The authorities of Tien Phuoc district, central province of Quang Nam are calling on social organisations and other localities to offer helping hands to residents whose houses were seriously damaged by whirlwinds.

Meanwhile, in central Ha Tinh province, a 12-year-old student at the Thach Hoi Secondary School in Thach Ha district was thunderstruck to dead while he was attending an outdoor activity in his school, reported local police.

The whirlwinds also hit the central Highlands province of Dak Nong in the early morning of May 3, injuring tens of local residents and damaging close to 60 houses.-VNA