VietNamNet Bridge – As many as 31 deaths have been confirmed, nine missing and 20 injured, after floods swept through the central and Central Highlands regions since Friday.

Part of National Highway 1A in Quang Ngai Province's La Ha Town was flooded following recent heavy rainfall. Other central and Central Highland provinces also suffered damage caused by the floods.

The updated figures were announced by the Central Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control yesterday morning, Nov 18.

According to reports of Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai provinces, nearly 250,000 houses were damaged by the heavy rains. Floods also destroyed nearly 3,000 hectares of rice and crops.

Thousands of meters of dykes have been swept away and damaged while landslides were reported in nearly 800 kilometers of road in the region.

The central provinces are carrying out urgent measures to help affected residents deal with the flood's impact.

In Binh Dinh Province, which was worst-hit by the flood, authorities are cooperating with the armed forces to assist residents in Tuy Phuoc, Phu Cat and Hoai Nhon districts which are being inundated at the moment.

According to director of the province's Department of Transport Tran Chau, the National Highway 1 running through Binh Dinh Province has been open to traffic since Sunday.

On the same day, electricity was also supplied to variety of residential areas and industrial zones, said the Binh Dinh Power Company director Huynh Ngoc Viet.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has sent an urgent message to ministries, related agencies and local authorities concerning measures to deal with the flood's aftermath in central and the Central Highlands provinces.

The document said that water in many rivers has risen to high levels, such as Ve and Tra Khuc rivers in Quang Nam Province, and Ba River in Gia Lai Province.

Total rainfall measured from 400-600mm and even nearly 1,000mm in some areas of Quang Ngai Province.

In order to minimize losses, People's Committees of the affected provinces were requested to evacuate the residents in landslide-prone and flood-prone areas to safer ground.

Additionally, they are supposed to continue their search for the missing, treat the wounded, provide burial services for the dead, and provide food, water and other necessities to flood victims.

Dung asked relevant ministries to support affected localities recovering after the flood.

In his message, the PM also expressed his deep sympathy for the victims' families.

Source: VNS