Downpours triggered by the tropical low pressure system over the past two days have threatened to overflow reservoirs and have caused serious damage to houses and roads across the northern and central regions.

Weather forecasts show that rains and floods remain severe, while certain reservoirs of hydropower plants and irrigation works must discharge their flood waters, leading to the high risk of flooding in the downstream areas.

As of Thursday morning, 62 people have died or are still missing due to the floods. The natural disaster submerged thousands of houses in Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

Landslides and flooding were reported along national highways crossing these provinces, including National Highways 15A, 16, 48B, 48D, 48E. Floods broke 28 km of the dam at Co Chau Reservoir in Ha Tinh, damaging 145 ha of rice, 2 ha of orchards and over 11,600 ha of other crops.

Heavy rains have filled up almost all of the reservoirs in the region. Nine of the 132 large reservoirs, including Cua Dat, Song Muc and Dong Chua in Thanh Hoa, Vuc Mau and Song Sao in Nghe An, Song Rac, Thuong Song Tri and Kim Son in Ha Tinh and Thac Chuoi in Quang Binh, have been releasing water.

Eight sluice gates of the Hoa Binh Reservoir in Hoa Binh province have been opened in order to discharge water since October 10. Hoa Binh province had to declare a state of emergency on the morning of October 11. Heavy rains caused landslides in Mai Chau and Da Bac districts, while many roads remain under water.

More than 5,110 households in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh have had to evacuate their homes in low-lying and landslide-prone areas. The northern province of Ninh Binh is also moving residents in vulnerable areas in 12 communes of Nho Quan and Gia Vien districts.

The mountainous northern province of Son La has suffered from heavy human and property losses. As of 4pm of November 11, floods had claimed five lives and injured three people, while three others remained unaccounted for. Total losses are estimated at over VND40 billion.

Around 160 houses were damaged in the districts of Phu Yen, Van Ho, Muong La, Moc Chau and Bac Yen. Floods also wreaked havoc on over 180 ha of rice, 48 ha of other crops and affected hundreds of livestock and poultry in Son La. Roads to six communes in Phu Yen district, along with two bridges in Gia Phu commune, have been ruined.

Floodwater completely isolated six communes of Van Ho district, namely Chieng Yen, Suoi Bang, Lien Hoa, Muong Men, Song Khua and Muong Te. It also inundated several sections of National Highways 37 and 43 and left the 35kV power system in Phu Yen and Bac Yen districts out of order.

In the mountainous northern province of Yen Bai, floods left 16 people dead or missing, as of 1 pm on October 11. Floods also damaged over 230 houses in Van Chan, Tram Tau district and Nghia Lo township. In Nghia Lo, Thia Bridge collapsed at 12 pm yesterday, during severe floods, causing five people to fall into the stream and go missing, including an on-duty Vietnam News Agency correspondent.

The province has sent more than 100 military soldiers and health workers to the site in order to conduct a search and rescue mission, while Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Do Duc Duy asked for an increase in forces to guard high-risk locations.

Meanwhile, landslides have shut down many roads in Nghia Lo and Van Chan; dozens of landslides were reported along provincial road No. 174 from Nghia Lo to Tram Tau, blocking all transport.

In Thanh Hoa, floods over the last few days had killed seven people and left four others missing in the central province, as of 5pm on October 11.

According to the province’s steering committee for natural disaster prevention, search and rescue, torrential rains completely destroyed 39 houses, while more than 6,000 others have been submerged by floodwater.

Floods devastated over 400 ha of rice, 20,000 ha of other crops, and 4.700 ha of aquaculture areas. Approximately 2.5 tonnes of harvested rice and 1,000 cattle and poultry were also swept away. Many mountainous communes, such as Giao An, Giao Thien, Tam Van and Lam Phu of Lang Chanh district and Cam Chau of Cam Thuy district have been left isolated by floodwater.

As of the morning of October 11, more than 14,000 students in Huong Son, Huong Khe and Vu Quang districts (Ha Tinh province) could not return to schools. Heavy rains combined with flood discharge from the Hu Ho Hydropower Plant caused many communes in Huong Khe district to be separated by floodwaters.

It is forecast that heavy rains of up 100mm will continue to fall in areas from Son La southward to the central province Nghe An until midday of October 12.

Many houses were washed away in Hoa Binh.

Aid provided to locals at the sites affected by floods in Yen Bai. 

Flooding inundated railways in Thanh Hoa province, causing local traffic congestion. 

Flooding in the town of Nghia Lo, Yen Bai. 

Post-flood recovery work has been undertaken quickly. 

Nhan Dan