VietNamNet Bridge – Heavy rains and flooding have claimed two lives in central Viet Nam and cost the region billions of dong in damages, reported the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control yesterday.

Heavy downpours caused landslides and traffic hold-ups on the Dakrong route from Quang Tri Province to A Luoi in Thua Thien-Hue city Province.

The committee reported that the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, and Nghe An seemed to be the most seriously affected.

Roofs of dozens of houses have been blown away and hundreds of hectares of crops have been damaged.

The two mountainous districts of Son Tay and Tay Tra in Quang Ngai Province have been disconnected from the outside world due to blocked roads from landslides and flooding up to 1m.

According to provincial leadership, these districts were provided with enough cooking, medicine and essential health equipment in preparation for this inclement weather.

However, landslides prone areas now threaten the safety of hundreds of households, according to the committee. Local authorities are currently making every effort to evacuate people to safety.

Major roads in Thua Thien-Hue Province are submerged to a depth of 1m, while highways 14E, 14B and Ho Chi Minh in Quang Nam Province are seriously damaged and littered with abandoned vehicles.

The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting predicts that the water levels of several rivers in the region will continue to rise due to sustained heavy rains.

A low pressure system currently forming in the East Sea caused heavy rains and strong winds that reached force 6 (under 60km per hour) in the seas bordering the central provinces.

An alert has been sent to areas at risk of flash floods and landslides.

(Source: Viet Nam News)