Heavy rain and flooding over the weekend in the northern regions killed seven people, including a family of four, and one person is missing.

Rescue teams are looking for missing people after the downpour that started July 7 caused severe flooding in Thai Nguyen Province, washing away a family with two children aged four and eight.

According to the latest report of the Office of the Central Committee for Disaster Prevention, the downpour that started July 7 caused severe flooding in Thai Nguyen Province, washing away a family with two children aged four and eight. 

The family was driving a car across a bridge in Linh Thông Commune when the water rose quickly and swept away the vehicle.

The body of a 17-year-old boy was found yesterday after he was washed away by the rising water the previous day when swimming across the Nam Rom River in Thanh Chan Commune, Dien Bien Province.  

Meanwhile in Ha Giang Province, rescuers yesterday found the bodies of two youngsters aged 13 and seven buried in a landslide hours earlier.  They were residents of Zone 5 in Vinh Quang Township, Hoang Su Phi District.

A resident of Quang Binh District was also washed away by the flood and remains missing. The landslide triggered by the heavy rain also injured another resident of Bac Quang District and damaged at least 70 houses across Quang Bình, Xín Man and Hoang Su Phì districts.

Authorities reported that more than 1,375 cubic metres of soil and rocks fell during the rain, blocking 26 roads connecting villages and communes in the province. The landslide also broke two irrigation facilities in Yen Minh District while two schools were buried under the rocks in Hoang Su Phì.

So far, 13 of 20 households living in Na Lau village, susceptible to landslides, have been evacuated. Evacuation efforts are still underway given that more rain was forecast in the northern region until Tuesday.

Landslides in neighbouring Lao Cai Province affected three houses in Muong Khuong and Bac Ha Districts, while at least 17,000 cubic metres of soil fell over 23 roads. Traffic resumed yesterday, the disaster prevention committee reported.

The downpour wrecked nearly 100 ha of paddy and vegetable fields across the three mountainous provinces over the weekend, while hundreds of pigs and poultry were washed away.

Damages in Ha Giang and Lao Cai were estimated at around VNĐ3 billion (US$124,400) and VNĐ2 billion, respectively.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting yesterday warned that heavy rain is expected until Tuesday in the northern region and Thanh Hoa Province. 

The average rainfall will range from 70 to 120 mm, reaching over 200mm in particular areas. 

VNS