At least 47 people killed, eight missing as flooding hits central Vietnam

HANOI (AFP) Nov 15, 2003
At least 47 people were killed and eight others were still missing after severe floods hit central Vietnam, cutting off several villages and burying sleeping people alive, officials told AFP on Saturday.

On Thursday night, 15 gold miners were killed in Quang Nam province when a landslide buried their makeshift huts while they were sleeping. Four others were seriously injured and three were reported missing.

"The water is receding and transport has started again. However, some far and remote communes are still isolated," said an official from the Committee for Flood and Storm control in central provinces.

"It was devastating."

A total of nine central provinces (Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan) have been hit by torrential rains and landslides since Tuesday.

It is the second time within weeks the region has been struck by torrential floods. At least 44 people died in October in the same area.

TERRA.WIRE