October 15, 201114 yr Death toll from flooding in southern Vietnam reaches 43 2011-10-15 09:28:16 GMT+7 (ICT) HANOI (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll as a result of severe flooding in southern Vietnam has risen to at least 43, the government reported on Friday. Tens of thousands of homes have been inundated. The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control said flooding in the Mekong Delta region, which encompasses large parts of southwestern Vietnam, has claimed at least 43 lives during the current monsoon season. An estimated 70,000 homes have been flooded. In addition to homes, more than 18,000 hectares (44,480 acre) of rice and nearly 3,700 hectares (9,140 acre) of subsidiary crops have been flooded. The loss has been estimated at more than 1.1 trillion Vietnamese dong ($52.8 million), according to a preliminary assessment. Dong Thap province has been the hardest hit area, reporting at least 15 fatalities. Other provinces also hit hard include An Giang, Can Tho, Long An and Kien Giang. Among the 43 fatalities are at least 31 children. Earlier this week, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited the region and called on authorities to improve disaster-relief efforts. He also called for more efforts to create a sustainable living environment which can handle floods as the Mekong Delta region frequently experiences flooding. The ongoing floods are the worst to hit Vietnam in more than a decade. -- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-15
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