Floods kill 42 in Vietnam in one week*

HANOI, Nov 5 (AFP) Nov 05, 2007

At least 42 people have been killed in the past week in Vietnam as
floodings ravaged the country's central region, officials said Monday,
more than doubling the previous death toll.

The deaths were recorded between October 29 and November 5 and another
six people were reported missing, said an official online report from
the national flood and storm control committee.

It said tens of thousands of houses had become inundated and damaged
while infrastructure, including the north-south rail links have been
interrupted for several hours.

Forecasters in Vietnam have warned of the possibility that tropical
storm Peipah might hit the country's coastal region in the next few days.

About 60,000 people in Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces have been
evacuated to safer areas while instructions have been made for more than
14,000 vessels to seek for hide at sea.

The Vietnam Foreign Ministry has also sent notes to China, the
Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia authorities, asking for help to
Vietnamese sailors and ships to hide the storm and provide relief works
if necessary.

In October, Vietnam's central region reported 114 deaths in continuous
floods and storms, the General Statistics Office said.