Heavy rains claim 18 deaths, 14 others still missing in central provinces

A residential area has been submerged in the central province of Quang Binh. Photo: Tienphong News

As of 6:00 am of October 11, central localities evacuated  45,835 people of 15,392 households.

Since the middle of last week the entire central coast and some Central Highlands provinces have been hit by torrential rains.

The heavy rainfalls destroyed 382 houses; submerged 109,034 houses; 70 schools; 108 portions of national roads; damaged 584 hectares of paddy rice and 3,879 hectares of vegetables; 2,141 hectares of aquaculture cultivation; and killed 271 castles; and 150,489 poultries. 

As of 10:00 pm of October 11, 17 vessels with 106 onboard were damaged.  

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, another tropical depression is brewing over the East Sea and is expected to intensify into the year’s seventh storm in Vietnamese waters.

Central localities from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Nam were forecast to see heavy rains of up to 200-400 mm in Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue on October 12-13.

The Central Steering Committee convened a meeting on October 12 to seek ways to cope with the tropical pressure and heavy rainfalls.  

Earlier on October 8, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued urged ministries, sectors, and localities to focus resources on dealing with floods and heavy rains./.

By Kim Anh