Prolonged heavy rains have caused floods in the country's central region, killing 34 people and leaving more than 20 missing, the National Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control reported Monday.
Fourteen victims died in Ha Tinh Province, 13 in Nghe An and seven in Quang Binh.
One person died and another two are missing after a whirlwind stuck in Thua Thien-Hue Province.
A bus carrying 37 passengers was swept away Monday morning from a section of National Highway 1A in Ha Tinh Province; 18 of the passengers were saved and the others are still missing.
Floods have submerged more than 152,000 houses in these provinces.
Chairman of Ha Tinh People's Committee Vo Kim Cu said this could be considered a historical flood season because local residents have had to cope with two large consecutive floods within the first 12 days of this month.
"The disaster has left thousands of people in the province penniless after their assets were swept away in the flood waters. They have nothing left to eat or drink," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on Monday urged localities to continue supporting people in flood-hit areas in an online meeting with authorities of provinces from Quang Ninh to Khanh Hoa.
He instructed the provinces to prepare to cope with Storm Megi which was expected to be a very strong and quick moving storm. He asked them to pay particular attention to evacuating residents from high-risk zones.
"Authorities need to instruct the owners of vessels operating offshore on how to enter storm-shelters safely and ban boats from dangerous areas," Hai said.
The National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center issued a flood and landslide warning to residents in the central provinces.
Water in many rivers has risen to dangerous levels, including the Ca River in Nghe An Province and the Ngan Sau River in Ha Tinh Province.
Prolonged heavy rains in recent days caused a severe landslide in Thua Thien-Hue Province. Nearly 200m of the Pe Ke mountain pass in A Luoi District was covered with 20,000sq.m of land and soil, blocking traffic along a section of the Ho Chi Minh Highway.
A flood-triggered landslide is also threatening nearly 300 households with more than 1,000 residents along O Loan River in Phong Thu Commune. The depth of the landslide could reach 15-20m.
Center director Bui Minh Tang said total rainfall in some areas measured nearly 1,000mm in three days.
"Heavy rains are forecast to continue in these provinces, particularly Nghe An and Thanh Hoa," he said.
The Ministry of National Defense has assigned a helicopter from Gia Lam airport in Ha Noi to Vinh City in Nghe An Province and mobilized hundreds of canoes, boats and other vehicles to facilitate emergency aid in flood-hit provinces.
The ministries of health, and agriculture and rural development continue to provide medicine and lifejackets to help people cope with the floods.
The International Red Cross on Monday appealed for more than one million dollars in aid for victims of heavy flooding in Vietnam.
Typhoon Megi is forecast to cross into the East Sea Tuesday evening with wind gusts reaching 150-183 kph.
Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh yesterday sent a message of condolence to authorities and the families of victims in flood-hit provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue.
He praised local authorities and relevant ministries and agencies for their efforts, and instructed them to continue mobilizing all available forces to protect the lives and assets of the people, to minimize the consequences and to prepare measures to cope with Typhoon Megi.
Urgent message
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also sent urgent messages to ministries, municipal and provincial People's Committees in flood stricken areas, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control, the National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center and the press Monday.
He assigned each unit with a concrete mission and responsibility to cope with Typhoon Megi and overcome the aftermath of the flooding.
Dung asked local authorities to continue their search for the missing, treat the wounded, provide burial services for the dead, and provide food, water and necessities to flood victims while ensuring environmental hygiene and the prevention of epidemic diseases.
He also asked relevant units to evacuate people from vulnerable areas, and ensure the safety of fishermen working offshore and tourists. He also called for the protection of reservoirs and irrigation projects, oil and gas exploitation projects at sea and the safe operation of the electricity system.
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