Perilous Times and Climate Change
Vicious Vietnam Floods inundate homes, crops in central region
Soldier helps a resident in flooded Nha Trang City, in the central
province of Khanh Hoa to safety. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Quang Duc
HA NOI — Torrential rains brought floods and landslides to the
country's central region, threatening thousands of hectares of rice
fields and isolating thousands of households.
The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre warned of possible flash
floods and landslides in submerged and low-lying areas in the affected
areas.
Reports from Ninh Thuan Province said heavy downpours had submerged
hundreds of hectares of crops, including 100ha of rice. As many as 50
households were inundated with half-a-metre of water in downstream
areas. Two reportedly collapsed.
Water has been released from Don Duong Lake, Sat River, Tran River, Tan
Giang and Ba Tri to protect the province's dyke and embankment system.
Flood waters have blocked several roads and many sections of National
Highways No 1A and 27 have been isolated.
Provincial authorities have closed some roads to traffic to ensure
safety.
They have also worked to relocate more than 950 of 3,832 households on
the flood plain.
In Khanh Hoa Province, heavy rains have continued to fall to the tune
of between 190 to 234 millimetres, leaving behind heavy damages.
In Cam Ranh Town, floods have submerged 30 hectares of shrimp-raising
areas, causing an estimated VND12 billion (US$615,000) in losses while
landslides have caused losses upwards of VND4 billion ($205,000).
Two vessels were swept out to sea. Border soldiers managed to save one
but another sunk in Nha Trang.
Thirty-two houses in Nha Trang's Vinh Nguyen and Vinh Phuoc wards
collapsed due to flooding and 62 households have been moved to safer
ground.
The latest report from the central Phu Yen Province says that Pham Dinh
Cu, 53, in Dong Hoa District is still missing.
Torrential rains have also been reported in the areas along Ban Thach
and Banh Lai rivers. Many residential areas in Dong Hoa and Tay Hoa
have been flooded.
Heavy downpours have also caused landslides at 1320+470km on the
North-South railway route through the Ca mountain pass.
Head of Phu Yen Province's Tuy Hoa Station Tran Ky Thanh, said the
landslides had blocked the tracks, leaving six trains with 1,222
passengers stranded. The province's Transport Department has assigned
12 buses to transport the passengers to Dai Lanh Station.
Phu Khanh Railway Company has mobilised hundreds of workers to fix the
problem but authorities report that the area is still vulnerable to
landslides. They are working to prevent further landslides.
The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre has forecast that rivers
in the provinces will continue to rise.
The Central Steering Committee for Floods and Storms told localities to
re-examine residential areas in low-lying areas and relocate them if
necessary. It also asked the provinces to take control of flooded roads
and provide instructions to road users.
Media outlets will continue to be informed of changing conditions. —VNS