VietNamNet Bridge - Heavy rains on May 12-13 triggered flash floods in the mountainous provinces of Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Lao Cai which was the hardest hit.

People in Lao Cai Province cleaning up their homes after the flash floodwaters receded on May 12 (Photo: SGGP)

At least 245 homes were badly inundated with furniture being swept away in Lao Cai Province.

In Lao Cai town, waters from the Ngoi Duong and Dong Ho streams overflowed within one hour of heavy rainfall on Thursday night, forcing people to flee to higher ground, leaving their household belongings. Local residents said that floodwaters flowed about 2-2.5 meters high.

By Friday morning, the floodwaters had receded but left a 0.5-meter high mud debris in Nam Cuong Ward and Binh Minh as well as in Cam Duong and Ta Phoi communes.

The floodwaters also devastated several roads, bridges, health clinics and schools.

Le Duy Ly, police chief of Cam Duong Commune said that the floodwaters and mud debris had destroyed documents and equipment in the Lao Cai Hospital of Traditional Medicines.

In Sa Pa District, the long-lasting heavy rainfall caused a landslide in the Mong Sen Bridge pier on Highway 4D.

Thousands of cubic meters of soil overflowed on to the road, causing traffic to come to a standstill on the Lao Cai town to Sa Pa route. The flash floods also hit over 40 households in Bao Yen District, 70 kilometers from Lao Cai town, where one house was even swept away.

Floodwaters also triggered landslides along the railway route Hanoi-Yen Bai-Lao Cai.

Nguyen Duc Nhue, deputy head of Lao Cai Railway Station said that a landslide blocked a train coming from Hanoi, for almost three hours.

Leaders from the People’s Committee of the province visited the affected area and compensated VND2 million to each household that suffered losses.

Source: SGGP/VNE