A house has been unroofed in the March 29–30 hailstorms accompanied by strong winds and lightning in Lào Cai Province. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As of 5.30pm on Monday, hailstorms accompanied by strong winds and lightning on March 29–30 had left four people dead, nine injured, and more than 6,560 houses damaged or unroofed.

According to the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, citing rapid reports from the provinces of Lào Cai, Cao Bằng, Quảng Ninh, Lạng Sơn, Tuyên Quang, Sơn La, Phú Thọ and Hà Nội, the fatalities included one person in Tuyên Quang killed by lightning, two in Quảng Ninh who died after their boat capsized in strong winds, and one in Sơn La also struck by lightning.

The nine injured were reported in Lào Cai (six), Lạng Sơn (one), Thái Nguyên (one) and Hà Nội (one).

The severe weather caused 13 houses to collapse, including 12 in Lào Cai and one in Sơn La, while 6,551 others were damaged or had their roofs blown off. Lào Cai suffered the heaviest losses with 4,528 homes affected, followed by Thái Nguyên (684), Cao Bằng (634), Tuyên Quang (314) and Lạng Sơn (358).

Hailstones measuring 1–2cm in diametre fell during the hailstorms in Quảng Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

In agriculture, 35 hectares of rice, 181.8 hectares of crops and fruit trees, and 68.1 hectares of forestry plantations were damaged or flattened.

The storms also killed 1,280 poultry, including 280 in Lào Cai and 1,000 in Thái Nguyên.

In addition, 172 auxiliary structures, 34 school sites, 22 cultural houses and three government offices were damaged or had their roofs torn off.

Immediately after the disasters, local authorities visited and supported affected families, mobilised forces to assist residents in recovery efforts, and are continuing to assess damage to help people stabilise their lives as quickly as possible. — VNS