Losses from the recent prolonged, heavy snowfall in numerous districtsof northern mountainous Lao Cai province amount to nearly 10 billion VND(4.7 million USD), according to local official.
Sa Pa resorttown is the hardest hit with a loss of up to 5 billion VND, said MaQuang Trung, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development.
Rare heavy snow damaged large areas of crops while blocking traffic on many roads in the town.
According to the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development of Sa Pa,more than 100 hectares of chayote and another 100 hectares of flowerswere buried under snow.
Thick ice also blocked about10 kilometres of Highway 4D linking Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces.Efforts have been made by local authorities to clear the roads.
Freezing temperatures also forced more than 8,500 pre-school and primary school students to cease their schooling.
Students in 63 schools in Sa Pa, including 20 nurseries, 22 primaryand 21 secondary schools, were allowed to stay at home on December 16and 17.
More than 500 blankets and many presents havebeen sent to the students to help ease their difficulties, the officesaid.
On December 16, temperatures plunged to below 5degrees Celsius across the whole of Lao Cai province. Particularly, themercury dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius in Sa Pa, coupled with rainand snow.
Earlier on December 15,heavy snow and a thick layer of ice covered O Quy Ho Pass in Sa Pa,while the temperature was recorded at minus 1 degree Celsius.
This type of weather, while not unheard-of, occasionally occurs in thehighest northern mountains during winter.
Thesnowfall attracted tourists to Sa Pa, causing congestion from theprovincial capital of Lao Cai to the resort town.
From the height of 1,500m above sea level, icy sheets were about 2.5 cm thick.-VNA
Sa Pa resorttown is the hardest hit with a loss of up to 5 billion VND, said MaQuang Trung, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development.
Rare heavy snow damaged large areas of crops while blocking traffic on many roads in the town.
According to the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development of Sa Pa,more than 100 hectares of chayote and another 100 hectares of flowerswere buried under snow.
Thick ice also blocked about10 kilometres of Highway 4D linking Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces.Efforts have been made by local authorities to clear the roads.
Freezing temperatures also forced more than 8,500 pre-school and primary school students to cease their schooling.
Students in 63 schools in Sa Pa, including 20 nurseries, 22 primaryand 21 secondary schools, were allowed to stay at home on December 16and 17.
More than 500 blankets and many presents havebeen sent to the students to help ease their difficulties, the officesaid.
On December 16, temperatures plunged to below 5degrees Celsius across the whole of Lao Cai province. Particularly, themercury dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius in Sa Pa, coupled with rainand snow.
Earlier on December 15,heavy snow and a thick layer of ice covered O Quy Ho Pass in Sa Pa,while the temperature was recorded at minus 1 degree Celsius.
This type of weather, while not unheard-of, occasionally occurs in thehighest northern mountains during winter.
Thesnowfall attracted tourists to Sa Pa, causing congestion from theprovincial capital of Lao Cai to the resort town.
From the height of 1,500m above sea level, icy sheets were about 2.5 cm thick.-VNA
