Torrential rains and flash floods in the central region have killed 48 people and left 18 others missing as of Wednesday, according to the National Rescue Committee.
Heavy rains from October 1 flooded rivers and inundated tens of thousands of houses in five provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue, a swath of territory starting some 300 kilometers south of Hanoi and stretching south.
So far, Quang Binh province has reported the worst toll with 33 people dead and 14 still missing. Ha Tinh has seven dead and one missing, Nghe An five dead and three missing and Quang Tri three dead.
Several trains and buses were stranded in Quang Binh as many sections of track and parts of Highway One, Vietnam's main north-south artery, were washed away.
Helicopters were ferrying instant noodles and drinking water into mountain communities and the navy had come to the aid of at least one boat in distress.
Nearly 62,000 houses from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue were flooded. More than 5,150 households in low-lying and submerged areas in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces were relocated to higher ground.
The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Center said the low pressure, off China's Hainan Island, was about 360km north east of Vietnam's central provinces.
The low, together with a cold spell, would bring heavy rainfall to central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent an official message, demanding urgent measures to deal with the disaster.
The Central Committee for Floods Prevention and Control on Wednesday required local authorities to collaborate with the National Rescue Committee to inform offshore fishing vessels about the low pressure to avoid dangerous areas and seek shelter if necessary.
Local authorities were required to take measures to deal with landslides and floods.
The Ministry of Health also urged local health agencies from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan provinces to supply 100,000 tablets of Chloramine B and 100 lifebuoys to flooded areas.
More than 900 border soldiers with 500 lifebuoys, 400 life jackets and 35 tents were mobilized to join the rescue work. More than 1.5 million tons of food, 15,000 packets of instant noodles and 2.5 million liters of water were sent to help people in flood-hit areas.
Ha Tinh Province People's Committee provided VND1 billion (US$51) worth of aid to flood victims. Thousands of people were mobilized to re-open roads and control drainage systems.
As many as 300 soldiers were sent to help evacuate more than 4,000 households in flood-prone areas in Quang Binh. Nearly 2,000 households would be moved to safer places today.
Hanoi People's Committee yesterday said the city's agencies and organizations had donated VND1 billion ($51,000) for the five heavily-affected central provinces.
The Vietnam Red Cross also provided financial support and goods valued at VND820 million ($41,820) for Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.
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