Eighteen Dead in Raging Vietnam Floods*

HANOI, Nov 3 (AFP) Nov 03, 2007

Flooding in central Vietnam killed at least 18 people this week while
rivers in the area have increased to an alarming level for the third
time in a month, officials said Saturday.

The official death toll rose from 13 Friday, with most the victims
perishing in strong currents of streams and rivers.

The dead came from Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Quang Binh and
Quang Tri provinces.

Four others remained missing, said a report from the national flood and
storm control committee in Hanoi.

Soldiers have been mobilised in Thua Thien Hue province to help people
restore damaged houses, schools and medical clinics, the report said.

In Quang Nam and Quang Tri provinces, authorities provided rice,
medicine and chemicals to clean the environment and fight possible
epidemics.

However, according to the report, heavy rain saw water levels of rivers
rise to record levels on Thursday and Friday, resulting in the third
serious flooding since early October.

In October, 114 people died in floods and storms that ravaged central
provinces and cities, the General Statistics Office said.