The ‘Haima’ typhoon caused flashfloods and a tornado yesterday, which claimed four lives in Yen Bai Province and two more in Hai Phong City.
The typhoon unleashed torrential rains in northern regions like Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh province, Hanoi and Hai Phong city. Northern central provinces like Thanh Hoa and Nghe An also saw wide spread heavy rainfall.
The heavy downpour lasted through Wednesday night till early morning in Yen Bai, resulting in flashfloods in Sua Long Village of Nam Khat Commune in Mu Cang Chai District, killing four people.
According to the provincial Steering Committee on Flood and Storm Prevention, at 8am on Thursday, five H’Mong ethnic people catching fish at a spring were swept away by flashfloods and only one man could escape the trauma.
Heavy rains also caused flooding and traffic congestion in many parts of Hai Phong City. A tornado moved across An Lu Commune in Thuy Nguyen District and left nearly 860 homes roofless and 16 others collapsed, killing two people, one being a pregnant woman. The tornado also injured 55 people with 32 suffering serious injuries.
According to Army Headquarter in Thanh Hoa Province, by 7pm last night, the province reported 737 boats still at sea with about 6,000 people looking for shelter.
In related news, the agriculture department in Tran Van Thoi District at the southern tip of Ca Mau Province said that on Thursday 2,000 hectares of rice was submerged under floodwaters caused by heavy rains over the last several days.
Thirty percent of the young rice crop in the district has been damaged. The provincial Agriculture and Rural Development has instructed local authorities to open all sluice gates and fortify the dykes.
On the same day, the agriculture department in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak reported over 1,600 hectares of rice inundated by heavy rains in recent days. The rainfall has raised the water level in the Krong Ana River which is now overflowing into the rice fields.
