Soldiers of Hà Giang Provincial Military Command move a submerged car in water to a safe place in the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Hoàn

HÀ GIANG — Continuous heavy rains between Sunday night and Monday morning across northern provinces, including Hà Giang, Lào Cai and Quảng Ninh, have resulted in at least three deaths and substantial property damage.

In the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang, a father and his three-year-old son, were swept away by floods.

The victims were identified as Lý Chàn Họ, 27, and his son Lý Hưng Thịnh from Tân Thượng Hamlet, Nậm Ty Commune, Hoàng Su Phì District.

After several hours of searching, authorities recovered their bodies.

In Quản Bạ District, a 42-year-old woman named Lò Thị Cho lost her life in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall.

In the districts of Hoàng Su Phì, Xín Mần and Vị Xuyên dozens of houses were flooded, many were hit by landslides, with some collapsing entirely. Many hectares of rice fields were damaged by the landslips, while flooding also submerged dozens of fields of crops in Hà Giang City. Many livestock farms were hit and countless chickens and birds were killed in poultry holdings.

In two communes of Thuận Hòa and Thanh Thủy in Vị Xuyên District, two local bridges were washed away by the floods. Several major roads from Hà Giang City to four northern highland districts of the province were severely eroded. Hundreds of cubic metres of rocks and soil slid onto roads from Mèo Vạc District to border communes and down to the Nho Quế River.

Over 130 vehicles were submerged in Hà Giang City. Initial estimates put the cost of the damage at nearly VNĐ19.5 billion (US$769,000).

Between 3am to noon on Monday, nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers from Hà Giang Province’s Police Department drove motor and rubber boats to aid rescue operations in deeply-flooded areas of the city.

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Minh Học, deputy head of the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Office, along with his team, dismantled a roof to successfully rescue four people trapped in a house in Hà Giang City due to rising water levels.

Due to the heavy rain, floodwaters in the Lô River section passing through Hà Giang City continued to rise by noon on Monday. Rising water levels in the Lô River submerged houses along the riverbanks by up to a metre.

Hundreds of households were on high alert to grab their belongings and move out if the Lô River floods the city.

Many roads from Hà Giang City to Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc districts were cut off, leaving some tourists and local residents stranded in the Mèo Vạc District.

Authorities were assisting tourists and residents out of dangerous zones, advising people and vehicle owners to monitor and obey traffic controllers' instructions when travelling on landslide-prone roads.

Landslides in Lào Cai

A landslide occurs in a section of the provincial road No 156B in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai. —VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Khánh

In the meantime, in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai, recent heavy rains have saturated the soil, weakening its structure and causing landslides in several areas.

The rising water levels of the Hồng (Red) River has flooded large areas of crops along its banks.

Due to the substantial upstream water flow combined with sudden increases in stream water levels, floods in the Red River section flowing through Lào Cai City rose significantly.

At 9 am on Monday morning, the Lào Cai Hydrological Station recorded a water level of 78.73m, with a flood amplitude of 2.41m.

The rising floodwaters have submerged and deposited silt over large areas of crops along both riverbanks. This is the largest flood on the Red River since the beginning of the rainy season.

In Mường Khương District, several roads were temporarily cut off due to large volumes of rock and soil landslides.

Specifically, the road from Mường Khương Town to Si Ma Cai District, passing through Lũng Pâu Hamlet, Tung Chung Phố Commune, was blocked by about 200cu.m of soil. Provincial Road No 154 through Lùng Khấu Nhin Commune experienced a landslide with about 70cu.m of soil. Prolonged rain also caused a landslide behind the kindergarten in Lùng Khấu Nhin Commune, sending 500cu.m of mud and soil into the teachers' dormitory, kitchen and schoolyard.

The province is expecting more rain, with widespread showers, raising the risk of flash floods in small rivers and streams as well as landslides in mountainous areas, particularly in districts of Bảo Yên, Văn Bàn, Bát Xát and Sa Pa Town.

Authorities have urged local residents to remain vigilant.

The Tuyên Quang Provincial People's Committee has declared an emergency situation in response to the landslide situation in Vĩnh Hưng residential area in Vĩnh Lộc Town, Chiêm Hóa District after landslides, triggered by torrential rains, caused damage for many households in the area.

Severe floods in Quảng Ninh

Torrential rains cause widespread damage in Uông Bí City, in the north-eastern province of Quảng Ninh on Sunday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hương

In the north-eastern province of Quảng Ninh, heavy rain on Sunday caused flooding on local streets in Hạ Long City and districts of Uông Bí, Cẩm Phả, Hải Hà and Tiên Yên, resulting in temporary traffic disruptions. In Uông Bí City, severe flooding damaged many cars.

By Monday, the water had receded and traffic has returned to normal.

According to local authorities, the recorded rainfall was significant: 313.8mm in Móng Cái City, 171mm in Uông Bí District, 285mm in Hải Hà District, 217mm in Đầm Hà District, 213mm in Ba Chẽ District and 182mm in Tiên Yên District.

Landslides have already occurred at six locations on the inter-commune roads in Bình Liêu District.

According to the Quảng Ninh Meteorological and Hydrological Station, the province will continue to experience moderate to heavy rain, up to 30-60mm and in some places over 80mm, posing a risk of further landslides and subsidence in small streams, mountain passes and construction sites. — VNS