A whirlwind struck this central province on Monday evening, damaging more than 120 buildings.

The whirlwind damaged a house in Huong Xuan Commune. 

The affected houses were in the province’s mountainous Huong Khe District. The whirlwind also uprooted many trees. No causalities were reported.

According to a report by the district’s agriculture and rural development division, the whirlwind blew the roofs of 120 private houses and public buildings in the Huong Xuan and Phu Phong communes. Many of them suffered damage to their walls as well.

Phan Trong Lai, vice chairman of Phu Phong Commune’s People’s Committee, who was also a witness to the incident, said the whirlwind lasted 10 minutes, but the wind was very strong.

Public forces arrived at the affected communes this morning to assist with the local clean-up operation and repair the damaged houses.

Also in the mountainous Huong Khe District, lightning and rain preceded the whirlwind, leading to the death of a farmer in Son Le Commune.

Nguyen Van Tinh, the victim, was harvesting rice when the storm broke. He was struck by lightning as he rushed to find shelter.

Nearby locals attempted to get him to the hospital, but Tinh had died on the spot. 

VNS