Heavy downpours and flooding from storm Wipha kill three in Vietnam; thousands of people evacuated
HANOI (AFP): Three people have been killed and another is missing in torrential downpours over Vietnam from Tropical Storm Wipha, authorities said Thursday, while nearly 4,000 homes were flooded by deluges.
Around 12,500 people were evacuated before the storm's landfall on Tuesday, when heavy rains and winds began lashing the country's north and central belt.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said three people were killed in flash floods and landslides in central Nghe An province, while one person remained missing and five more were injured.
Nationwide, more than 3,800 houses have been flooded -- several over their rooftops -- while nearly 95,000 hectares of crops were submerged and destroyed, according to the report.
Mountainous Nghe An province was evacuated of thousands of people on Wednesday night as rivers and reservoirs overflowed and inundated local communities, state media said.
Last week, Wipha killed at least six people in the Philippines, where tens of thousands were forced from their homes and it flooded parts of the capital Manila.
Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
A sudden whirlwind and abnormal weather pattern overturned a tourist boat in Vietnam's UNESCO area of Ha Long Bay on Friday, killing 37 people, including several children.
And in September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 people dead and causing an estimated economic loss of US$3.3 billion. - AFO
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