VietNamNet Bridge – Heavy rains and floods ravaging central Vietnam over recent days have blocked the routes of 11 North-South trains, leaving more than 3,700 passengers stuck at stations since Tuesday, a high-ranking railway official said.
Floods submerged areas and caused landslides along the trans-Vietnam railway routes at 12 points on the section from Ha Tinh Province to Quang Binh Province.
In some places tracks were 0.5-1m or even 1.6m deep under water, said Tran Bat, head of Transport Department, Viet Nam Railway Corporation.
Meanwhile, adverse weather has claimed more lives, raising the total death toll to 36, said the Viet Nam Department of Dike Management, Flood and Storm Control.
Ha Tinh Province overtakes the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak as worst hit with 14 casualties, including four killed by lightning. The province also reported five injured and one still missing.
According to the department, more than 350 houses have collapsed, about 41.800 others remain submerged and approximately 77,300ha of crops are waterlogged. Thirteen people were still missing in Dak Lak, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.
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Disaster relief |
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President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Pham The Duyet yesterday sent a message of condolence to victims' families. The Committee will give the family of each person killed in Tropical Storm No 2 VND2mil (US$125) and families of those injured VND1mil ($63).
The Viet Nam Red Cross Society announced yesterday it would give emergency aid to central and Central Highlands provinces hit by the storm, according to the organisation's press release.
A total of VND82mil ($5,130) and home supplies worth VND315mil ($19,700) will be presented to households in the six provinces Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Dak Nong. |
Local authorities in Quang Binh and Ha Tinh have stepped up efforts to evacuate inhabitants, rescue victims and recover losses caused by the storm.
Ha Tinh's army and police force sent 20 vessels to flooded communes and took 15,000 inhabitants to safe areas whilst Quang Binh Province used its budget to buy more than 5 tonnes of instant noodles and thousands of bottles of mineral water to feed households in severely flooded areas.
Typhoon weakens
Typhoon Pabuk has lost speed on its way to Macao, the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting said.
The strongest winds near the eye of the storm were measured at between 62 and 88km per hour. In the next 24 hours, typhoon Pabuk would move in a westerly direction at speeds of 22-25km per hour and might degrade into a low pressure system, according to the centre.
However, despite slowing down, strong winds, rough seas and rain should be expected in northern parts of the East Sea, the centre warned.
(Source: Viet Nam News) | 
