Rescuers searching for missing victims (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Five peoplehave died and 14 remain missing as storm Wipha brought torrential rains andstrong wind to northern and north central localities for several days fromAugust 1.
The north central province ofThanh Hoa had the most fatalities with three deaths and 12 missing people,according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention andControl and latest reports from Thanh Hoa.
The northern mountainousprovince of Bac Kan reported one death, while the northern mountainous provinceof Dien Bien reported one 9-year-old boy was dead and a five-year-old boy wentmissing after the two were swept away by flash flood at the local stream.
Storm Wipha, the thirdtropical storm to hit Vietnam this year, also caused heavy damage to propertiesand public transport routes.
Some 100 houses, mostly inThanh Hoa and Lang Son provinces, were destroyed, and nearly 200 others havebeen damaged.
Meanwhile, landslides andfloods caused blockages in many roads in Thanh Hoa, Dien Bien and Son Laprovinces, cutting off traffics.
The storm also disruptedelectricity supply to nearly 300,000 customers on August 2, but service wasrestored late the same day.
Military personnel have beendeployed to support search and rescue activities and help residents to overcomethe consequences of natural disasters, especially in Thanh Hoa.
The Ministry of Industry andTrade has directed the supply of 2,860 boxes of instant noodle, 39 boxes of dryfood, and drinking water to isolated villages.-VNA
