Heavy rain caused by typhoon Yagi has dumped more than 100mm and even nearly 300mm on some localities in the province for the past 12 hours.

Heavy rain combined with water from upstream caused water levels of the Red River to rise past the third alert level on September 9 morning. Meanwhile, water overflowed the riverbanks in downstream areas, threatening local residents.

Rising floodwaters have cut off many areas in Lao Cai. Currently, it is temporarily impossible to travel from Lao Cai city to nearby districts and communes such as Sa Pa, Bat Xat, and Bao Thang due to flooding and landslides, said a VOV correspondent in Lao Cai.

Six resident were killed and seven others were reported missing after Two landslides hit Sa Pa town, a famous tourist resort in northern Vietnam, and A Lu commune on September 8-9.

Rescue forces scrambled to move people from flashflood and landslide prone areas to safe locations. They are now combing through debris to look for the missing.

Local authorities of Sa Pa town have arranged to ensure the safety of accommodation for visitors, particularly for the more than 2,000 foreign tourists still staying there, said To Ngoc Lien, head of the Sa Pa town administration.

Meteorologists have warned northern mountainous localities about a high risk of flash floods and landslides in the coming days.

VOV