Double floods in central region kill 32 with unknown number missing

Residents in central Vietnam are exhausted with double floods while super typhoon Megi is heading toward the East Sea after clearing main island of Luzon in Philippines.

Army forces evacuate people from flood-affected areas on Oct 18, 2010. (Photo: Duong Quang)
Army forces evacuate people from flood-affected areas on Oct 18, 2010. (Photo: Duong Quang)

The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention said that heavy rains from October 13th to 18th caused heavy floods in central provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh.

Rains causing floods killed 32 people with an unknown number missing after a bus became submerged on Oct. 18. Police officers from Nghi Xuan district in Ha Tinh said the bus passengers disappeared after floodwaters on the main north-south highway submerged the vehicle.

The police said that there were 17 passengers were rescued in the bus that is said to have 30 passengers.

Hundreds of thousands of houses are shrinking in water. Hundreds of villages are separated and major roads are blocked by floods. Traffic between the north and south of the country was briefly interrupted as buses and trains could not move on the key national road and rail routes.

The Vietnamese People Army has involved thousands of soldiers in rescuing and evacuating people in areas affected by the natural disaster.

300,000 residents in Le Thuy of Quang Binh province are in blockage of floods. The army has used high-speed boats and helicopters to evacuate 100,000 residents there.

Sai Gon Giai Phong reporters from Quang Binh said that the shortage of foods was spreading in the flood-affected areas.
 
In order to help people in the central region, organizations and individuals have sent thousands of tones of rice, instant noodle and VND billions to them.

Meanwhile forecasters said Super Typhoon Megi, which killed at least 10 person when it struck the northern Philippines on Monday, was also likely to affect Vietnam. Luckily, however, the super typhoon seemly turned away Vietnam. It is heading toward China.

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