At least 39 dead due to floods in Vietnam, Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Oct 13 (efe-epa).- At least 28 people have lost their lives in Vietnam and another 11 in neighboring Cambodia after heavy rains over the last few days caused floods and landslides in the two countries, where more rain is expected in the coming days.

According to the national disaster prevention center, 22 people were killed in the floods, three were injured while sailing, and three others died by electrocution while repairing damages to their homes caused by the storm.

Rains that have lashed the central provinces of the country for almost a week have flooded more than 130,000 houses, more than 4,000 hectares of farm land, and caused extensive damage to roads and bridges in the region.

The authorities have evacuated more than 50,000 people in the most affected areas of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Binh provinces, where some villages were completely submerged, with water levels up to four meters (13 feet) high.

In Cambodia, excessive rains have caused flooding since Oct.1 across nine provinces and the capital, causing 11 deaths so far, while causing the evacuation of more than 1.200 families from the worst affected areas, according to the country’s disaster management agency.

Heavy rains began in central Vietnam in the middle of last week and peaked on Sunday, with the arrival of tropical storm Linfa, which may be followed by another tropical depression in the coming days, according to the country’s weather service.

The country’s meteorological department announced that Storm Nangka will arrive on Wednesday off the coast of northern and central Vietnam, although it is not expected to severely affect the areas impacted by the floods.

Central and northern Vietnam typically experience several typhoons and tropical storms every year.

Natural disasters caused 132 deaths in 2019, mostly from flooding and landslides due to heavy rains. EFE-EPA

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