Flooding worsens in central Vietnam; death toll rises to 41
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Vehicles affected by flood waters in Nha Trang, Vietnam's coastal province of Khanh Hoa, on Nov 20.
PHOTO: AFP
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HANOI – The death toll from a new round of torrential rain, flooding and landslides in central Vietnam
Rainfall has exceeded 1,500mm in several parts of central Vietnam over the past three days.
The region is home to a key coffee production belt and the country’s most popular beaches, but it is highly prone to storms and floods.
The floods and landslides have also left nine people missing, and inundated more than 52,000 houses and over 10,000ha of crops, according to a report from the government’s disaster management agency.
Traders on Nov 19 said the flood waters have also inundated coffee farms and hampered an ongoing coffee harvest in the region.
More than 553,000 households and businesses are still facing blackouts after power grids were damaged by the floods, according to the government.
Stranded on rooftops
Photographs shared on state media reports show residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses and calling for help via social media platforms.
“Any group out there, please help! We’ve been sitting on the roof since 10pm last night, including kids and adults,” a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page.
Alongside the post was a photograph of a group of people sitting on the metal roof of a flooded house as the rain lashed down.
The photos also show several residential areas in Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces submerged in deep water.
Naval forces have been deployed to help stranded citizens in Khanh Hoa, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Nov 20, adding that flood waters have reached record highs in many areas.
Little girl rescued from collapsed house
A seven-year-old girl in Da Lat was rescued late on Nov 19 after being suddenly buried by a landslide, said the Nhan Dan newspaper.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, knocked down and buried part of the house where the girl was living, according to the report.
A photo accompanying the report showed the girl’s hand sticking out from a pile of soil, rock and broken concrete as the rescuers arrived. She was pulled out after 1½ hours with a broken leg and rushed to hospital. She is now in stable condition, the report said.
The national weather forecast agency on Nov 19 warned of more floods and landslides to come, with heavy rain set to continue in the region. REUTERS
