The tropical depression that brought torrential rain to the central region a few days ago and continues to hang around has left six people dead, nine injured and three missing as of Monday morning.

The deaths number two in Thua Thien Hue city Province, two in Da Nang, and one each in Quang Nam and Quang Tri provinces. Three of the deceased were children and one was a handicapped adult, Lao Dong newspaper reported on Monday.

Border guards have sent out three boats to look for the two missing residents of Quang Ngai Province. The other person unaccounted for lives in Gia Lai in the central highlands.

The tropical depression that formed over the East Sea last Thursday was weakening late Saturday but then started to strengthen and bring more heavy rain to the region and south to the Mekong Delta, the newswire Vietnamnet said on Monday.

The unexpected development prompted the Central Forecasting and Hydrometeorology Center to warn that the tropical low could strengthen into a storm on Wednesday or Thursday.

“It’s just a forecast, the reality might be different. We will provide detailed updates constantly,” said Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the center.

On Monday morning, the low was located around 140 kilometers to the east of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh and generating winds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.

It was forecast to move slowly eastward over the next 24 hours and directly affect coastal waters from Quang Ngai to Binh Dinh.

Hai said the low was taking a zigzagging path, first approaching the mainland, then turning away before coming back.

Property damage has been extensive, going by the latest report from the Central Flood Protection Steering Committee.

Quang Nam alone has more than 3,000 hectares of ripe rice and 2,340 hectares of fruit and vegetables underwater.

Sections of highway have been washed away, disrupting traffic in many parts of the province, and thousands of cubic meters of soil and rock have disappeared from canal embankments.

In all, the property losses in Quang Nam are put at VND20 billion and rising.

On the water, ten barges and boats are known to have sunk or sustained damaged along the central coast.

Source: Agencies