By Khanh Vu
HANOI (Reuters) -The death toll from a new barrage of torrential rain, flooding and landslides in central Vietnam since the weekend has risen to 41, state media reported on Thursday, with water levels rising further in already inundated towns and villages.
Rainfall exceeded 1,500 mm (60 inches) in several parts of central Vietnam over the past three days. The region is home to a key coffee production belt as well as the country’s most popular beaches, but is highly prone to storms and floods.
A suspension bridge on Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province was swept away on Thursday morning, VietnamNet newspaper reported. A video clip showed the bridge being swallowed by the river in just a few seconds. Reuters could not immediately verify the video.
More than half a million households and businesses faced blackouts after power grids were damaged by the floods, according to the government. Traders said the floodwaters were hampering the coffee harvest in the region.
The national weather forecast agency warned of more flooding and landslides to come on Friday, with heavy rain set to continue in the region.
STRANDED ON ROOFTOPS
Photographs shared in state media reports showed residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses and calling for help via social media platforms.
“Any group out there please help! We’ve been sitting on the roof since 10 p.m. last night, including kids and adults,” a resident of Khanh Hoa province posted on a local Facebook page. Alongside the post was a photograph of a group of people sitting on the metal roof of a flooded house as the rain lashed down.
The photos also showed several residential areas in Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces submerged in deep water.
Naval forces have been deployed to help stranded citizens in Khanh Hoa, the Vietnam News Agency reported, adding that floodwaters had reached record highs in many areas.
At least nine people were missing, and floods have inundated more than 52,000 houses and over 15,000 hectares of crops, according to a report from the government’s disaster management agency, cited by online newspaper VnExpress.
LITTLE GIRL RESCUED FROM COLLAPSED HOUSE
A seven-year-old girl was rescued late on Wednesday in Da Lat after being buried by a landslide, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, knocked down and buried part of the house where the girl was staying.
A photo accompanying the report showed the girl’s hand sticking out from a pile of soil, rock and broken concrete as the rescuers arrived.
She was pulled out after an hour and a half with a broken leg and rushed to the hospital. She is now in stable condition, according to the report.
(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by David Stanway and Ros Russell)
