Household and local government offices in Kỳ Sơn District of Nghệ An Province are isolated due to heavy flooding on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

CENTRAL REGION — Heavy rains and floods from Sunday through to Tuesday have caused significant damage to the central region, with two reported deaths and six people injured. 

According to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention late Tuesday, one fisherman in Quảng Trị Province died after being struck by lightning while at sea. 

The six injuries were recorded in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. The torrential rain also flooded 28 houses and took the rooves off 155 others. 

Widespread downpours have caused flooding and cut off traffic in multiple areas of the central Quảng Bình Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

Quảng Bình recorded one death due to heavy rain on Tuesday noon. 

The victim is a 14-year-old child from Tuyên Hóa District, who was trying to cast a fishing net with three other children in a flood area in front of Ba Tâm Village Kindergarten, situated about 100m away from the bank of Gianh River. 

The child slipped into deep water and was found dead later. 

Quảng Bình Province also evacuated 32 households, but residents returned home on Tuesday evening. 

Heavy downpours also cut off traffic to 16 villages and caused temporary congestion on multiple routes in Quảng Bình’s Tuyên Hóa and Minh Hóa districts. 

The central province also recorded erosion of approximately 1,500 cubic metres of soil. 

Around 21 hectares of fruit orchards in Hà Tĩnh Province and about 2,000 fruit trees in Quảng Trị were damaged. 

A landslide occurred on National Route 8A in Hương Sơn District of Hà Tĩnh Province on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

Meanwhile, schools in Nghệ An Province were closed on Monday and Tuesday. 

Nguyễn Thị Châu, head of Quỳ Châu District’s education and training division said that multiple areas were inundated due to downpours combined with hydropower plant discharge from 2 am on Tuesday. 

Initial reports show that the water level has risen to the roof of the kindergarten and elementary school in Tà Sỏi Village while reaching around one metre in many schools in Châu Thắng Commune.

According to Nghệ An Provincial Department of Education and Training, as of 8 am Wednesday, multiple schools were closed in Quế Phong, Quỳ Châu, Quỳ Hợp and Tân Kỳ districts due to heavy rain and hydropower plant discharge.

In the remaining Anh Sơn, Con Cuông and Kỳ Sơn districts, students in several schools were also given a day off due to road closures.

Nguyễn Trọng Hoàn, chief of the department office said that a guideline has been issued early for active responses during the rainy season. 

Schools can let students stay at home with early notice and will work with local authorities and families to keep the children safe. 

The department has also directed schools to actively relocate equipment to higher floors and reinforce walls in case of prolonged rain. A person should also be assigned on duty around the clock in case of emergency. 

Thanh Hóa Provincial People’s Committee Chairman on Wednesday morning also issued an official document requiring localities to implement protection measures for agricultural production, as well as urban, industrial and low-lying areas.  

Inspection teams will also patrol households at risk of flooding and landslides for early evacuation. 

The provincial agriculture and rural development department will conduct reviews and take protection measures for local dams, dykes and irrigation reservoirs, while the transport department will redirect traffic from at-risk areas to ensure transportation connection. 

From 7 pm Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, rainfall levels recorded in Thanh Hóa Province ranged from 40 to 100mm, reaching up to 172mm in some areas and causing flooding in several streets of Thanh Hóa City including Phan Chu Trinh, Đinh Công Tráng and Lê Quý Đôn. 

According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, heavy downpours will continue from Thanh Hóa to Quảng Bình provinces until late Thursday. 

The total rainfall in the next two days in these localities is expected to be between 150 to 250mm. 

Thunderstorms are also forecast for the northern and southern deltas. 

The centre said that people need to stay vigilant for flash floods and landslides in the mountainous regions and inundation in low-lying areas. 

The heavy downpours in the central region in recent days were caused by a tropical low-pressure system formed in the East Sea which weakens as it moves inland. — VNS