VietNamNet Bridge - Thousands of people in Ho Chi Minh City were confused at flood-tides at a level of 1.49 meters on November 26, the highest in the past 48 years. Some 40 sections of the city’s dyke system have been broken and hundreds of pupils have had to be off school. Meanwhile, the flood-tides are still forecast to be increased.

“Being hit by a number of floods in my homeland in a central province, my family moved house to Ho Chi Minh City. However, the tides have also flooded my house,” Nguyen Van Quy, a citizen in Hiep Binh Phuoc ward, Thu Duc district said.

Like Mr. Quy’s family, hundreds of households in the district have to deal with the tides.

The area has seen the most serious flooding with some inundated under 3 meters of water.

Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, head of one region, said that this flooding was the most serious in the three in 2007. “Two thirds of the 109-hectare streets are being flooded,” he said.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, vice chairman of the ward, there is a risk of the breakdown of the dykes.

“Women, the elderly and children have been evacuated on November 26,” he added. “If there is any more dyke breaking, the rest will be relocated to higher areas.”

When 4 dyke sections in the ward were breached, the water from Sai Gon river overflowed to residential areas and flooded houses. Traffic wanderers and police had to use canoes to relocate the elderly and children.

When the tides rose, it caused traffic halt in a national highway. Meanwhile, people strived to bring their properties out of the flooded houses. Some companies and shops had to be closed.

Hundreds of pupils in Hiep Binh Phuoc ward had also to be off school. Ms Do Thi Kim Thoa, deputy headmistress of the school, said that the tides were so strong that it sunk many documents and computers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Cong, deputy head of the city flood and storm prevention committee, six pumps have been mobilized to release the water, and mobile police has helped the evacuation of people.

The city irrigation and flood and storm prevention department forecasted that the peak tides may remain at 1.49 meters or more, for the first time in two days.

Districts have been urged to immediately repair the breached dyke sections.

They have also asked to mobilize all forces and material to deal with the aftermath of the tides in the first hour of the rise.

(Source: VNE/CPV)