Flash flood, mudslide break up commune in central Vietnam
Saturday, November 07, 2020, 12:29 GMT+7
Several villages in a commune in the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh were isolated as unexpected flash floods triggered severe mudslides there on Friday.
Bui Tan Thanh, vice-chairman of Vinh Thanh District, said flash floods struck a location near the People’s Committee office of Vinh Kim Commune in the wake of prolonged rain since Thursday night.
The powerful currents swept thousands of rock and earth masses from mountains to low-lying areas, destroying roads, houses, and electricity and water systems in the commune.
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| Trees are uprooted while electricity and water systems are destroyed in Vinh Kim Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tan Thanh / Tuoi Tre |
By Friday, only two out of six villages in the commune had been connected.
The remaining villages kept being isolated, with residents failing to access electricity and clean water supplies.
“Flash floods have never happened in the area before. The catastrophe was a surprise to everybody,” vice-chairman Thanh said on Friday.
In response to the calamity, local authorities evacuated residents out of dangerous areas.
Some houses were damaged but no casualties were reported.
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| Some areas in Vinh Kim Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh Province are severely inundated. Photo: Tan Thanh / Tuoi Tre |
At present, relevant forces in the district are cooperating with residents in cleaning up uprooted trees and rocks, fix damage, and detect landslide-prone spots to prepare for timely evacuation, Thanh added.
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| Traffic in Vinh Kim Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh Province is paralyzed due to mudslides. Photo: Tan Thanh / Tuoi Tre |
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| A resident in Vinh Kim Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh Province saws falling trees to clear the way. Photo: Tan Thanh / Tuoi Tre |
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