The ongoing cyclone and perpetual rainfall in the Mekong Delta region in the last few days has damaged thousands of houses, injured hundreds of people and caused losses estimated in billions of dong.
Early on Friday, the cyclonic storm severely damaged more than 100 houses in Tam Binh District of Vinh Long Province, of which 34 were completely destroyed.
Two preschools in Loan My Commune were rendered roofless, and five people were injured. Initial damage is estimated at VND1.5 billion.
The number of injured people and damaged houses since August 1 has mounted to seven people and 200 houses in Vung Liem, Mang Thit and Tam Binh Districts. The province has so far suffered a loss of upto VND3 billion (US$144,000).
Districts authorities and army personnel were on alert during the aftermath of the cyclone, and supported families that were left with collapsed houses, with each family being provided with VND6 million ($288). They also helped people clean-up after the storm and repair their damaged houses.
Luong Ngoc Lan, director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bac Lieu Province, said that torrential downpours coupled with strong winds on Friday morning devastated tens of houses in Dong Hai District.
So far Bac Lieu Province has reported one person dead, 13 injured and 650 houses that have collapsed. Thousands of hectares of rice and vegetable crops have flattened or flooded. Total damage in the province is said to be around VND30 billion ($1.44 million).
Authorized organs have mobilized all resources to help residents overcome the devastation in the aftermath of this severe natural disaster by helping them build temporary shelters and providing necessary food relief.
At present, persistent rainfall in many parts of the province is creating a problem for farmers to dry tens of thousands of tons of recently harvested rice crop.
Harvesting has become cumbersome in the rain and farmers have been compelled to hire extra laborers to harvest more than 55,000 hectares of rice still standing on fields, causing labor price rates to skyrocket.
Lai Thanh An, head of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention in Bac Lieu Province, said that all households who have been rendered without houses have been temporarily shifted to safer locations, with affected families being provided relief of VND800 million ($38,400).
Soc Trang Province has also withdrawn VND6.5 billion ($312,000) from the budget to help people affected by the cyclone.
Ben Tre Province authorities along with the army and police are also making efforts to help people restabilize their lives.
Related article:
Two dead, hundreds injured in Mekong Delta from cyclonic storm
