At least 54 people have died in northern Vietnam as a result of flooding and avalanches since the beginning of the week. Most have been victims of mudslides. Thirty nine people are declared missing and 31 are injured because of the rains. Officials in the Department of Agriculture said the country hasn’t seen this level of flood destruction in years. The government placed Hoa Binh province in a state of emergency and opened dams in the area to avoid further flooding. Nearly 600 soldiers and 2,000 residents are working together in Yen Bai province to find several missing people. Six people have already died in this province. The government has since evacuated residents from more than 17,000 homes in the region, where 317 houses were taken out in mudslides and over 34,000 homes remain flooded. Authorities reported that about 22,000 hectares of rice are in ruin. Approximately 180,000 heads of livestock have been lost. Thailand is also suffering from these rains, which have washed out 480,000 hectares of rice so far. Vietnam experienced the brunt of Typhoon Doksuri in August, killing eight people. Last year, Vietnam’s tropical storms killed 264 and cost the country 1,750 million in damages. Source URL |
