Foreign leaders continued sending messages of condolences to their Vietnamese counterparts on the loss of life and property caused by typhoon Ketsana, which swept through the central regions and Central Highlands.

Typhoon Ketsana, which is considered the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in the past 45 years, has left 170 dead and over 600 injured.

The condolences came from the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, President of the Presidium of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong Nam and Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar.

The Australian government also extended its sympathies to the Vietnamese government over storm losses and announced 1 million AUD (894,000 USD) in aid for the victims through its Red Cross and non-governmental organisations in Vietnam.

The US government has allocated an additional 500,000 USD in emergency assistance for the Vietnamese people in the aftermath of storm, bringing the total assistance provided by the US to 600,000 USD, said the US Embassy in Vietnam in a press release issued on October 7.

On the same day, the EU delegation to Vietnam said its members have pledged nearly 1 million EUR in aid for storm-hit communities in Vietnam.

The countries’ embassies will also provide 2 million EUR from the EU budget for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The RoK government has donated a relief package worth 100,000 USD, including essential utensils such as canvas tents, sleeping mats, and bedding. The relief is expected to reach those in need on October 9.

Germany ’s Red Cross organisation has also provided water treatment devices worth 200,000 USD in total for around 3,000 households in Loc An commune, Phu Loc district, central Thua Thien-Hue province./.