Flash floods ravage northern Vietnam, cut off access to popular resort town

By Pham Huong, Tran Thuong   August 5, 2016 | 01:05 am PT
Four people have been confirmed dead in the worst flooding to hit Lao Cai Province since 2008.
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Roads to the resort town of Sa Pa, popular with local and foreign tourists, were cut off by landslides, leaving many tourists stranded. Sa Pa is known for its striking landscapes and scenery. It is also home of home to many generations of ethnic minorities and the 3,143-meter Mount Fansipan, known as the "Roof of Indochina". The photo shows a section of the Lao Cai - Sa Pa highway after a landslide swept it away.

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Heavy rains that triggered floods and landslides in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai have left four people dead and seven others missing. The Vietnamese government is coordinating storm-relief efforts with local authorities.

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Lao Cai has been battered by heavy rains for four days, with the highest rainfall measured at 152 mm in Bat Xat District on Friday morning.

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Floodwaters have swept mud into local houses in Dong Tuyen Commune (Lao Cai City). This is the worst flooding Lao Cai has experienced since the historical flood in 2008, said Luu Minh Hai, director of the provincial Meteorological Forecasting Center.

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Bat Xat District is experiencing power cuts and communication networks are also down. In the photo, localized flooding has isolated Phin Ngang Ward (Bat Xat). Photo courtesy of Lao Cai newspaper.

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Heavy flooding washed away a bridge in Binh Minh Ward, Lao Cai City. Photo courtesy of Lao Cai newspaper.

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Flooding destroyed a house in Dong Tuyen Commune.

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A local stream burst its banks and came pouring into Dong Tuyen Commune.

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