Vietnam's south-central coast struggles to battle floods

By VnExpress   December 7, 2016 | 10:46 pm PT
Heavy rains have claimed 18 lives in Vietnam's south central region.

Heavy downpours that began at the end of November have stricken Vietnam’s central region with widespread flooding.

So far, officials have confirmed the severe weather claimed the lives of nine people in Quang Ngai Province, six in Binh Dinh and three in Quang Nam.

The floods have inundated hundreds of homes, thousands of hectares of crops and damaged roads and other infrastructure.

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Prolonged rains have submerged thousands of houses in the south central-province of Binh Dinh. Floodwaters edged up to the door of a community center in Tuy Phuoc District, despite the fact that it sits on relatively high terrain.

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The authorities in Tuy Phuoc District said some regions sit under more than a meter of water, so locals have resorted to trucks as their only means of transportation.

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The local authoriteis have dispatched personnel to hazardous areas to warn local residents of the dangers they face. “On Tuesday, a fourth-grader drowned on her way home from school. Her body was found many hours after the floods swept her away,” an official said, adding that nearly 5,000 students in Tuy Phuoc District have been ordered to stay at home.

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Many have sent family members to higher ground. “We had just cleaned up the damage caused to our house by a flood that came through in early December,” this man told VnExpress as his family slogged down an inundated road. "Now we have to flee the area."

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“We have suffered three consecutive floods in a single month,” said the man pictured here.

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Vo Thi Bich Dung, 47, said the flood hit her house unexpectedly, destroying all of her assets and furniture. "Five people lived in my house and we've all had to stay with relatives and neighbors until the water recedes," Dung said.

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Water rose into the eaves of many houses. Farmer Vo Thanh Tuan said thousands of chickens and ducks he'd planned to sell ahead of Tet, have either drowned or been washed away.

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In the south central province of Quang Ngai, floods have stricken many areas; communes like Nghia Ky, Nghia Lam, Nghia Phuoc have disappeared under 1.5 meters of water.

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Residents have used boats to evacuate children and the elderly from flooded areas.

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A fisherman ties a tarp to the deck of his boat to keep the heavy rains from sinking it.

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Quang Ngai’s Steering Committee for Flood Prevention has asked local authorities to remain on-call 24/7.

Photos by VnExpress

Related news:

> Deadly floods return to central Vietnam

> Vietnamese race against the clock to save what they can from flood

 
 
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