80,000 Left Homeless by Flooding and Landslides in Vietnam

40 Dead or missing, 80,000 displaced due to flooding and landslides in Vietnam

Tropical Depression PODUL dumped up to 800mm of rain in some parts of central Vietnam, leaving hundreds of villages isolated.

Extreme rain events have triggered sever flooding and landslides in five central provinces, leaving at least 28 people dead, nine missing and more than 80,000 homeless since Thursday. At least 100,000 houses have been inundated, according to reports.

Many roads have been damaged, including many parts of the National Highway19, which have been washed away.  At least a dozen bridges have collapsed.  Widespread power outages have been reported in Binh Dinh Province, with the Tay Son District experiencing a total blackout.

Flooding in the region was exacerbated after 15 hydro power plants opened their sluice gates for safety, releasing tens of thousands of cubic meters of water.

Tropical Storm KETSANA forced a hydro power dam in Quang Nam to release 50 million cubic meters of water in September 2009, which intensified flooding that killed at least 163 people and caused more than US$786 million worth of property damage, said a report.

Tropical Storm HAIYAN killed at least 13 people and left 81 others injured when  it made landfall in north Vietnam after killing thousands of people in the Philippine, leaving more than 4 percent of the population homeless and vast areas utterly devastated.

Related Links

• PODUL Forces 25,000 to Flee Their Homes in Vietnam Posted on November 16, 2013
• Tropical Depression ZORAIDA Striking Mindanao, Philippines November 11, 2013