18 Nov 2013

Fatal floods in Vietnam

7:57 am on 18 November 2013

Flooding and landslides in central Vietnam have left at least 34 people dead, 11 missing and about 80,000 homeless since Friday.

Lives have been lost across five provinces, according to the National Flood and Storm Control Agency.

In Quang Ngai province, floodwaters reportedly rose above a previous peak recorded in 1999.

Officials said flood waters have started to recede in some areas, allowing residents to return and begin digging out their homes.

The official Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reports Binh Dinh Province had the highest number of deaths, followed by Quang Ngai.

Some 100,000 houses were submerged and roads were closed and some national train services cancelled.

The BBC reports flood waters rose quickly after sluice gates at 15 hydro power plants were opened as a safety measure.

Earlier in the week, at least 13 people died and 81 were injured when Tropical Storm Haiyan made landfall in north Vietnam, after wreaking havoc as a typhoon in the Philippines.