Floods kill 8, injure 81 in northern Vietnam

Floods kill 8, injure 81 in northern Vietnam

2011-06-25 00:12:14 GMT+7 (ICT)

HANOI (BNO NEWS) -- Eight people were killed and scores were injured as torrential rains hit Vietnam's northern provinces, the Voice of Vietnam News reported on Friday.

The municipal steering board for flood, storm control and rescue reported that eight people have been killed, while 81 people were injured. Among the injured, 32 were in critical condition. 

In the northern coastal city of Hai Phong, a whirlwind claimed the lives of two people, including a pregnant woman. The disaster also destroyed several road sections and damaged over 850 homes. 

Rescue services, especially in the worst-hit district of Thuy Nguyen, were transferring the victims to hospitals and evacuating those who have become homeless to shelters. â€¨â€¨

Torrential rains also affected the northern mountain province of Yen Bai, where the body of a child was recovered. Five locals from the H'mong ethnic minority were swept away by a swollen stream while they were fishing.

Vietnam's Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control sent a telegram to people's committees and steering committees in the northern and north central provinces, asking them to implement measures to ensure the safety of flood-affected people, irrigation works and water reservoirs.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-25