Deadly floods inundate central Vietnam

At least 15 people have died in central Vietnam after torrential rains caused severe flooding across four central provinces and displaced thousands of people.

The heavy downpours, which began last Wednesday and have barely eased since, have brought amounts of rain ranging from 300 to 900mm over the past few days, according to the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

The province of Ha Tinh on Vietnam’s north central coast recorded 235mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 06:00 GMT on Sunday.

The previous 24 hours saw a massive 526mm, giving a total of 961mm of rain in just two days.

Quang Binh province suffered the heaviest casualties – of the 15 people that lost their lives, nine died there. At least 20 others are still missing.

State-run Vietnam Television said at least 30,000 homes were submerged, while roads and railway lines were damaged.

Many flights in and out of the region were cancelled and several villages were also cut off.

Conditions are now improving and the rainfall is expected to ease. However, the region is likely to see more heavy rain by the end of the week.

Typhoon Sarika is forecast to hit northern Vietnam by the early hours of Wednesday morning.