Three people have been killed and 13 injured as a thunderstorm passed over several mountainous provinces in northern Vietnam.
The provinces of Ha Giang, Son La and Yen Bai reported a death each while the injured were in Lao Cai (1) and Dien Bien (2), according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.
Torrential downpours and hailstones – the latter a rare occurrence in Vietnam – have also damage the roof of nearly 1,650 houses and destroyed 30.2 hectares of rice and 721.1 hectares of other crops. It also caused damage for 31 buildings. Total damage was estimated to worth about 3.4 billion VND (144,732 USD). Vietnam News Agency reported.
Ha Giang is a province in northern Vietnam, bordering China. It’s known for its forested limestone and granite mountains. The laid-back provincial capital, also called Ha Giang, sits on the Lô river. North of the capital, the Quản Bạ Valley has green hills and caves, and is the location of the Quan Ba pass, also known as Heaven’s Gate for its panoramic views over terraced rice fields below.
Featured image: Storm Son Tinh devastated Vietnam in July 2018