Several streets in Huế City remained waterlogged Thursday morning following torrential rain. — VNA/VNS Photo Đỗ Trưởng

HÀ NỘI — Two people have died and three others missing after heavy rain and widespread floods, according to the Permanent Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên-Huế provinces each reported one death – both victims were in separate boat incidents.

A total of 17,877 houses in Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Đà Nẵng, and Quảng Ngãi were submerged. Many areas in Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên-Huế provinces were mostly still from 0.3 to 0.6m under water at the time of the report.

The floods have damaged and torn up roofs of 34 houses  (Hà Tĩnh, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi provinces).

122 hectares of fruit trees and flowers in Quảng Trị Province and Đà Nẵng City were damaged, along with and 50,000 forest seedlings, 5,000 flower seedlings, 1,100 livestock, poultry, and two hectares of aquaculture in Quảng Trị.

Prolonged heavy rain in Quảng Ngãi have caused serious landslides on the Violak pass, cutting off traffic on National Highway 24 from Quảng Ngãi to Kon Tum, with congestion being worsened.

Flooding and blockages have also occurred on various national highways and local roads, while landslides have affected national and provincial roads in Quảng Bình, Đà Nẵng, and Quảng Ngãi.

By Thursday morning, Quảng Nam Province’s authorities had successfully addressed the landslide incident on Hồ Chí Minh Road in Phước Sơn District.

The water levels in the Hương and Bồ rivers in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province have dropped below alert level 3, and heavy rain has gradually decreased.

In areas where water has receded, Thừa Thiên-Huế Electricity Company has resumed power supply for residents. Functional units are coordinating with local authorities to address the consequences of heavy rain and floods.

The Government has asked local authorities to closely follow the developments of rain and floods, to minimise human and property losses as well as impacts to people’s lives and production.

Thừa Thiên-Huế Province was asked to deploy personnel to direct safe traffic at landslide-prone and submerged areas, shut schools when necessary and provide timely assistance – especially offering essentials and food to households displaced by flooding and landslides and people cut off in remote regions by floods.

Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, head of the Weather Forecast Department at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Forecast Centre, warned that torrential downpours are still expected to slash localities in the central region in the coming days.

Given the flood situation in rivers, it is necessary to ensure the safety of hydroelectric reservoirs and vulnerable small-scale irrigation systems. River floods can cause flooding in low-lying areas along rivers, affecting activities such as waterway transportation, aquaculture, agricultural production, and people's lives and socio-economic activities. — VNS