Vietnam: Floods kill 15, thousands evacuated

Reuters 7 Nov 16;

Floods in Vietnam's central, central highland and southern provinces have left 15 people dead and six missing and displaced thousands, the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on Monday.

Flooding from very heavy rain brought by cold air and a tropical low pressure system last week have blocked roads, destroyed more than 200 houses and inundated more than 40,000 other houses in 12 provinces, the department said in a report.

A combined 12,000 hectare of crop land were flooded while more than 40,000 cattle and poultry were dead or washed away, the report said.

Last month, floods following torrential rain killed dozens of people in Vietnam's central region of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces and inundated more than 100,000 houses.

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Michael Perry)


Phú Yên calls for emergency aid after floods
Vietnam News 7 Nov 16;

ĐÀ NẴNG — The flooded central province of Phu Yen Province has called for Government emergency aid of 1,000 tonnes of rice and over one tonne of medicine and medical supplies.

The province sustained the most damage in the south-central region from recent rains and flooding, with an estimated loss of VND337 billion (US$15 million).

Provincial authorities also asked for an emergency fund of VND90 billion ($4 million) for quick repair of flood-damaged roads, dykes and irrigation systems.

The Centre of Flood and Storm Prevention in the Central and Central Highlands regions said flood levels in the rivers of the south-central region have gradually been subsiding, but there was still risk of flooding.

According to the latest reports, floods washed away over 250,000 cubic metres of soil on roads, channels and dykes, damaging 15 bridges and causing a loss of around VND430 billion ($19 million).

Ten residents of Bình Định, Phú Yên and Dak Lak provinces were killed, while over 12,000 houses in provinces from Quang Ngai to Ninh Thuan and the central highlands provinces of Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong were submerged or otherwise damaged.

Over 11,000ha of rice and farm produce along with 17,000 fowls and cattle were either killed or swept away.

According to the Centre for Flood and Storm Prevention in the Central Highlands, some provinces have completed repairs of crucial sections of roads and railways as of yesterday morning.

Two fishing boats from Binh Dinh with 13 fishermen were rescued and towed home yesterday after their engines were broken by rough seas. — VNS