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Soldier helps a resident in flooded Nha Trang City, in the central province of Khanh Hoa to safety. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Quang Duc |
HA NOI — Torrential rains brought floods and landslides to the country's central region, threatening thousands of hectares of rice fields and isolating thousands of households.
The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre warned of possible flash floods and landslides in submerged and low-lying areas in the affected areas.
Reports from Ninh Thuan Province said heavy downpours had submerged hundreds of hectares of crops, including 100ha of rice. As many as 50 households were inundated with half-a-metre of water in downstream areas. Two reportedly collapsed.
Water has been released from Don Duong Lake, Sat River, Tran River, Tan Giang and Ba Tri to protect the province's dyke and embankment system.
Flood waters have blocked several roads and many sections of National Highways No 1A and 27 have been isolated.
Provincial authorities have closed some roads to traffic to ensure safety.
They have also worked to relocate more than 950 of 3,832 households on the flood plain.
In Khanh Hoa Province, heavy rains have continued to fall to the tune of between 190 to 234 millimetres, leaving behind heavy damages.
In Cam Ranh Town, floods have submerged 30 hectares of shrimp-raising areas, causing an estimated VND12 billion (US$615,000) in losses while landslides have caused losses upwards of VND4 billion ($205,000).
Two vessels were swept out to sea. Border soldiers managed to save one but another sunk in Nha Trang.
Thirty-two houses in Nha Trang's Vinh Nguyen and Vinh Phuoc wards collapsed due to flooding and 62 households have been moved to safer ground.
The latest report from the central Phu Yen Province says that Pham Dinh Cu, 53, in Dong Hoa District is still missing.
Torrential rains have also been reported in the areas along Ban Thach and Banh Lai rivers. Many residential areas in Dong Hoa and Tay Hoa have been flooded.
Heavy downpours have also caused landslides at 1320+470km on the North-South railway route through the Ca mountain pass.
Head of Phu Yen Province's Tuy Hoa Station Tran Ky Thanh, said the landslides had blocked the tracks, leaving six trains with 1,222 passengers stranded. The province's Transport Department has assigned 12 buses to transport the passengers to Dai Lanh Station.
Phu Khanh Railway Company has mobilised hundreds of workers to fix the problem but authorities report that the area is still vulnerable to landslides. They are working to prevent further landslides.
The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre has forecast that rivers in the provinces will continue to rise.
The Central Steering Committee for Floods and Storms told localities to re-examine residential areas in low-lying areas and relocate them if necessary. It also asked the provinces to take control of flooded roads and provide instructions to road users.
Media outlets will continue to be informed of changing conditions. —VNS
