Flooding drowns Dong Ha city of Quang Tri (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The death toll during recent severeflooding in the central region reached 84 while 38 others were missing as of6pm of October 18, reported the Office of the Steering Committee on NaturalDisaster Prevention and Control.
According to the committee, 52,933 houses were submerged, while24,734 others were seriously damaged. Floods also damaged over 107,500 hectaresof rice and food crops and more than 461,000 cattle and poultry were dead orswept away in floodwaters.
At the same time, 12 national highways and 17,409m of localroads were damaged. More than 11,500 households with 35,787 people from QuangBinh to Thua Thien-Hue provinces had to evacuate.
As of 5:30pm of October 18, rescuers in Quang Tri found 14bodies out of the 22 officers and soldiers buried by the landslide at theDefence - Economic Division 337 under Military Zone 4 in Huong Phungcommune, Huong Hoa district. Rescuers are working hard to search for theremaining victims.
So far, the death toll in Quang Tri had risen to 37, alongwith 19 missing and 15 injured.
In Ha Tinh province, torrential rains and severe floodingforced more than 200,000 students to stay home. Many schools in theneighbouring Nghe An province also closed from October 19 until the weathercondition is safe again.
The devastated flooding, which has lasted for more than 10days since October 6, was caused by record rainfalls in 30 years.
Amidst the situation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc onOctober 18 decided to assign the Ministry of Finance to provide 4,000 tonnes ricefrom the national rice reserve to Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue andQuang Nam, with each receiving 1,000 tonnes, to support flood-affected people.
The same day, he sent a dispatch to Quang Tri and ThuaThien-Hue province, urging local authorities to focus on search and rescueactivities and overcoming landslides consequences in Rao Trang 3 hydropowerplant in Thua Thien-Hue and Defence - Economic Division 337 under Military Zone4 in Quang Tri.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and leaders ofrelevant ministries and agencies also arrived in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hueto direct the activities./.
VNA
