Hanoi houses remain submerged in wake of typhoon

By Ngoc Thanh   August 24, 2016 | 04:09 am PT
Five days after the typhoon, people are still wading through their homes.

Typhoon Diamun swept through Vietnam's northern provinces last week, killing six people and injuring eight. The typhoon also caused heavy downpours and flooded many areas.

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Though the typhoon has past, this community in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, remains submerged under 60 centimeters of water. 

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"Five years ago, our house was swamped by about 40 centimeters of water that ruined all the furniture. This year, the water levvel stood at 60 centimeters, flooding all the plug sockets on the first floor so we don't have electricity. We don’t have clean water either as our underground tanks have been flooded," Pham Thi Binh, a local said.

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A local said that his family had sealed the doors to prevent water from reaching the house, but it proved useless. Now they have to use a chair to open the doors. 

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This 150 meter long alley has been under water for the last five days.

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Children wade through the water on their way to school.

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Han Thuyen School is using a boat to transport students.

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Duong Van Duyen said that the water is going down at a very slow pace so he doesn’t know when the streets will be dry again.

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Locals use tape to separate a large pond and nearby streets to prevent accidents.

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Nguyen Thi Tham said that her life has totally changed after the typhoon. One family member was left to look after the house, while the rest were moved to safety.

“Our house is inundated with 70 centimeters of water, so we've had to move our scooters to other houses. Every time I go out or come in, I bring a bottle of water to wash my feet.”

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Le Van Thuy, deputy head of Tu Lien Ward, said the problem was due to blocked sewage outlets. He said the authorities are working with the Hanoi Drainage Company to dig temporary channels to drain the water.

Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

 
 
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