-
Heavy rains, floods leave eight dead, injured, missing.
-
Weather turns cold in northern, north central regions.
-
Visit Vietnam Insider’s homepage for more stories.
According to the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, three persons were killed, four were wounded, and one went missing as heavy rains swept over the northern and central provinces around 5 p.m. on October 17.
Heavy rains caused landslides that blocked roads and destroyed bridges in several areas, slowing travel and isolating a number of settlements, Vietnam News Agency reported.
Seven towns and districts in Quang Binh are at high risk of landslides, and 1,903 locals must be evacuated.
Torrential rains have also caused power outages and floods in the province of Thua Thien-Hue.
The steering office has requested the affected cities and provinces to seriously execute the Prime Minister’s and the office’s orders, to timely notify local authorities and the public on natural disaster developments, and to monitor residential areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
Local governments must take precautions to safeguard dykes, reservoirs, and production activities, as well as sustain search and rescue operations, according to the agency.
Due to a fresh powerful cold wave, the weather has become chilly in the northern and north central regions, with temperatures in some mountainous places dipping below 17 degrees Celsius.
Showers are expected in the northern plains and coastal regions, with lows of 18 degrees Celsius.
In the Gulf of Tonkin, strong northeasterly winds of 39-49 km/h with gusts of 75-88 km/h have been reported.
Torrential rains are expected from south Nghe An province to Thua Thien-Hue province as a result of the cold wave, creating a significant danger of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas, as well as flooding in low-lying areas, according to Vietnam News.