Saturday heavy rains cause traffic congestion in many roads of Sơn La Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

SƠN LA — A downpour on Saturday caused a landslide that killed a 10-year-old child in Mai Sơn District of the northern mountainous province of Sơn La.

The district’s rescuers found the victim's body a day later. Local authorities visited and provided financial support to the victim's family.

Heavy rains over the weekend in the northwest have caused a great deal of damage, according to the National Steering Committee of Natural Disaster Prevention.

The committee warned heavy rains would continue in the region with rainfall from 30-40mm, with rainfall up to 100mm in some areas.

The heavy rains occurred on Saturday and Sunday in Sơn La, mainly in the communes of Mường Lan (42mm) and Mường Lèo (32mm) in Sốp Cộp District, and in Tân Xuân (28mm) of Vân Hồ District.

Prolonged heavy rains and landslides caused traffic congestion on many provincial roads. A big landslide occurred on Sunday morning, in Mường Lầm Commune, Sông Mã District, with the volume of collapsed rock estimated at 500cu.m.

A 22m-long road in Mường Chanh Commune, Mai Sơn District was affected by a landslide, causing traffic congestion for a day.      

Five houses in Thuận Châu District collapsed and 9ha of vegetables in Mai Sơn District’s Phiêng Cằm Commune was destroyed in the heavy rains on Sunday, according to initial reports.  

Local workers and police were mobilised to help traffic return to normal on Monday. — VNS