As of 6pm of October 9, downpour-triggered floods had killed five people (two in Quang Tri, one in Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Dak Lak each) and injured four (one in Quang Binh and three in Thua Thien-Hue) while, according to the standing office.

As many as 33,386 houses in the central region had been damaged and landslides recorded at 93 sites on national highways and 2.2km of provincial roads. Many local roads have also been flooded, blocking the traffic flow.

Meanwhile, six cargo ships broke down and three others sank in Quang Tri province. One fishing boat also sank off the coast of Binh Dinh province as a result of downpours and floods.

Floods also inundated 52ha of rice and 1,957ha of crops, devastated 772ha of aquatic farming, and killed or washed away a large number of livestock and poultry in the region.

By the end of October 9, floods had submerged two communes in Ha Tinh province, 28 others in Quang Binh, 68 in Quang Tri, 51 in Thua Thien-Hue, and 12 communes and wards in Da Nang city.

To cope with floods, 26,407 people in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam had been evacuated by 6pm of October 9.

Torrential downpours hit many parts in the central region from October 6 till now. Some provinces recorded rainfall of between 300mm to 500 mm a day; worse, Quang Tri Province and Thua Thien – Hue Province measured rainfall from 700 to 900mm; these places were inundated and separated.

Weather forecasters said the torrential rains will continue to hit the region with river water level from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai will rise to dangerous line even exceeding the third-state warning level.

Erosion and inundation will possibly occur in low-lying districts especially in districts Huong Hoa, Dak Rong, Hai Lang, Trieu Phong in Quang Tri Province, Dai Loc, Duy Xuyen in Quang Nam, Phong Dien in Thua Thien – Hue and Minh Hoa in Quang Binh Province.

The PM requested people’s committees in cities and provinces from Ha Tinh to Phu Yen and the central highlands region to keep an eye on development of flood and downpours to have timely emergency assistance for residents' safety and minimize loss to the lowest.

Another low pressure forecasted to hit central region

Another low-pressure zone that has developed in the East Sea is forecasted to affect the central region, causing torrential rains.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 1 pm on Friday, the low-pressure area was some 360 kilometres northwest of Song Tu Tay Island of the Spratly Archipelago.By 1 pm today, October, the low-pressure zone became a tropical depression centred some 240 kilometres north-northeast of Song Tu Tay Island, with wind power of 40-60 kilometres per hour. gusting at level 9.

In the next 24-48 hours, it would move west-northwest at 10-15 kilometres and could intensify with a speed of 10-15 kilometres per hour.

Localities in the central and southern central regions would continue experiencing rain on October 11-13.

Over the past days, the central region has been battered by heavy rain, submerging thousands of houses and leaving many areas isolated.

Photos of flooding in the central region:

Flood in Quang Binh province

In Quang Nam province

Hai Sam