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Typhoon Lekima death toll still rising as 29 people missing also feared dead

Floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Lekima killed at least 46 people in Vietnam and 29 others remain missing and are feared dead, officials said yesterday.

The death toll in the worst-hit central province of Nghe An rose to 16 after two more bodies were discovered on Saturday.

Fifteen people were reported missing there, said provincial disaster official Pham Hong Thuong.

NO COMMUNICATION

"Communication to many parts of the province is still cut off," Thuong said. "The death toll is likely to rise."

Four more casualties have been reported in neighboring Thanh Hoa Province, taking the number of deaths there to seven.

Three others were still missing and feared dead, provincial official Vo Trong Kien said.

Eight more people were reported killed in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La and Quang Ngai, authorities said. Eleven people were also reported as missing in Hoa Binh, Son La, Quang Binh, Ninh Binh and Yen Bai provinces.

Packing 130kph winds, Typhoon Lekima made landfall on Wednesday in central Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.

Kien said that more than 50,000 people in Thanh Hoa were still isolated after water overflowed the dike, causing widespread flooding in Thach Thanh District.

PROVISIONS GONE

"Floods have also hindered our rescue efforts and thousands of people are hungry as water has wiped out their provisions," Kien said.

On Saturday, two military helicopters were called in to drop food to people in Thach Thanh.

Lekima, named after a local fruit, damaged about 77,000 homes, the department said. It set the initial damage estimate at US$41 million.

Vietnam is prone to floods and storms that kill hundreds of people each year.
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