LAI CHÂU — Landslides triggered by heavy downpours in the mountainous province of Lai Châu have killed six people, with another four missing, said local authorities on Friday.

Phong Thổ District People’s Committee said that the landslides in Mù Sang and Vàng Ma Chải communes on Friday afternoon also left five people injured.

The landslides also buried and damaged dozens of in Phong Thổ, forcing several households living near rivers and streams to evacuate the area.

Lai Châu People’s Committee has launched a search and rescue operation and warned Lai Châu City and surrounding districts to prepare for more rain and flooding.     

Tuyên Quang, Hà Giang at risk

Landslides were also highly likely in the northern provinces of Tuyên Quang and Hà Giang, according to official forecasts.

The National Centre for Hydro–Meteorological Forecasting said heavy rain had lashed the two provinces since Thursday night.

The highest amount of rainfall was recorded in Tuyên Quang Province’s Lâm Bình District and Hà Giang Province’s Xín Mần District.

A crack measuring 40-50cm appeared on a hill in the northern province of Yên Bái’s Trấn Yên District on Friday after prolonged rain from July 19-31.

Heavy rainfall is forecast for the whole northern region and is expected to last until Sunday.

The capital Hà Nội is also likely to be severely affected by the rain.

The water levels in Hà Nội’s rivers remained high on Thursday night, according to the city’s Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue.

Many areas on the outskirts of the city remained submerged in floodwater, especially communes and villages in the city’s outer district of Chương Mỹ.

The Hà Nội Department of Water Resources Management said 305 pumps were being used to drain the areas at a capacity of 784cu.m per hour.

Several sections of dykes damaged by rain and floodwater had been repaired, it said.

City authorities said they had ordered district authorities to monitor stretches of dykes, canals and embankments, especially those bordering the Tích, Bùi and Đáy rivers.

District steering committees for natural disaster prevention said they had ordered lower-level authorities to remove duckweed, garbage and other obstructions from rivers, canals and pump stations to facilitate the drainage process. — VNS