Torrential Rains, Floods Kill 111 in Central Vietnam, Cause Damages worth $37M

Torrential rains and floods that have ravaged the central region since mid-October have caused 111 people to die or go missing and injured some 121 others, according to the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. The damages were reported during a teleconference chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 17, during which government officials discussed measures to cope with the consequences brought about by floods in central provinces. Many farmers in the central provinces have lost spaces for agriculture and aquaculture to floodwaters, with total damage estimated at over VND8.5 trillion ($37.4 million), the department stated. Official statistics show that heavy rain and flood in the central region on Dec 12-16 left 15 deaths and missing, destroying more than 130 houses, inundating nearly 112,000 others. Over 10,000 hectares of rice fields and many infrastructure and transportation works were damaged. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung attributed the exacerbation of flooding to the poor management of local reservoirs and hydroelectric projects. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on December 16 sent a message of sympathy to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh on heavy losses caused by floods in Vietnam’s central region.  Tuoi Tre – Youth Dec 17, VOV Dec 17, Tien Phong – Pioneer Dec 17, Vnexpress Dec 17)