Flooding, hitting Vietnam's central and northern regions since
October 4, killed or left missing 67 local people as of Sunday
afternoon, Vietnam's Central Television reported.
In the most severe flood in the country over the past 45 years,
central Nghe An province suffered the biggest human loss with 20
deaths and 11 missing, followed by northern Hoa Binh province with
eight deaths and four missing, and northern Son La province with
seven deaths and three missing, the Television quoted Vietnam's
Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention as
reporting.
The disasters also damaged over 100,000 houses, submerged
hundreds of thousands of hectares of subsidiary crops, and
disrupted electricity and telecommunications system in some areas.
The exact property loss caused by the floods has yet to be
calculated, but must be very large, said the television.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Sunday visited
flood-prone northern Ninh Binh province, asking provincial leaders
to help flood victims have enough food and soon stabilize their
life. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central
Committee Nong Duc Manh and Dung have required flood-hit localities
actively to take more drastic measures to minimize human and
property losses, and ensure enough food and medicines for flood
victims.
Now, submerged roads and bad weather have caused many
difficulties to evacuating flood victims and offering them relief
aid.
Natural disasters, including typhoons and hails in Vietnam
killed 339 people, left 274 persons missing, and injured 2,065
others in 2006. The estimated losses totaled 18.6 trillion
Vietnamese dong (nearly US$1.2 billion) in the year.
(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2007)
