Drenching rains continued pounding many areas in the northern region yesterday and increasing the dead toll by three to total 28 and missing ones to 6, reported the National Committee for Search and Rescue.
Of these, 17 were from the coastal province of Quang Ninh, 10 from mountainous provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Son La and Bac Giang, and one from the north central province of Thanh Hoa where six have still been reported missing.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Truyen, chief officer of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in the mountainous province of Cao Bang, said that a mountain landslide buried a wooden house, killing three and injuring five family members at 10 p.m. on August 2.
Rescuers have found one dead under the landslide debris and continued searching for the other two.
Mr. Truyen said that the house was located in landslide vulnerable area and local authorities have built a new house for them to remove in. However, it is unclear that why they returned to the old house on Sunday night to sleep and met the accident.
On the same night, torrential rains washed away four houses in Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province killing a 28 year old woman.
Floodwaters have marooned Dong Son and Ky Thuong communes, Hoanh Bo district and many communes in Ba Che district of Quang Ninh, damaging an extra of 800 hectares of rice and 1,000 cattle.
Heavy rains prompted the People’s Committee of Ha Long city in Quang Ninh to displace nearly 200 households from landslide susceptible area on Tuesday morning. The flood has not receded in Uong Bi city.
The People’s Committee of Mong Cai city in the same province reported that the torrential rains starting July 26 have destroyed hundreds of hectares of rice and vegetables and put many reservoirs in unsafe conditions.
A 40 meter river embankment was badly eroded in the city’s Hai Son commune. Local administration has proposed the province People’s Committee to quickly repair and fortify it to prevent worse landslide from affecting the entire embankment route along this border area.
The National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center warned of further downpours, flash floods and landslides in the northern region until late Wednesday when the heavy rains are expected to abate.
Related article:
Flood flows north to central Vietnam
