Heavy rain in northern areas of Vietnam has caused deadly flooding and landslides.
The country’s Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control reported flooding and landslides in Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Yen Bai Provinces after storms and heavy rain from 27 May, 2019.
In Ha Giang Province, 1 person fatality was report after in a landslide in Bac Quang district. A second victim died after he was swept away by flood water in Yen Bai Province. The Committee reported that at least 53 houses have been damaged or destroyed, including 47 in Yen Bai Province. Crops and roads have also been damaged. Local media also reported flooding in Cao Bang, where 1 person reportedly drowned in Nguyen Binh.
In a 24 hour period to 29 May, 91 mm of rain fell in Yen Bai and 89mm in Bac Quang, Ha Giang Province.
Vietnam’s National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting (NCHMF) warned of further heavy rain with risks of flooding and landslides over the coming days, in particular in Lao Cai, Son La and Hoa Binh provinces. On 31 May, Muong Bang in Son La recoded 82mm of rain in just 3 hours.
China
Flooding has also affected neighbouring parts of China over the last few days. Heavy rain and floods in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 27 May left 7 dead and 9,000 displaced.
Two further fatalities were later reported. On 29 May disaster authorities in China activated a level-IV emergency response to the situation in Guangxi, where more than 350,000 people have now been affected, 23,000 hectares of crops damaged and 539 houses seriously damaged or destroyed.
Disaster authorities also activated a level-IV emergency response in Guangdong Province after a period of heavy rain increased flood risks. Guangdong authorities will implement a range of flood prevention measures and consider pre-emptive evacuations particularly in the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region.
Update, 03 June 2019
Local media in China reported that 2 people died and 4 were missing after a landslide in the city of Yangjiang on 02 June, 2019.
