Flood death toll rises to 21 in Vietnam
HANOI - The death toll from floods and landslides has risen to 21 and two people remain missing following heavy rains in central Vietnam where water levels continue to rise, officials said Saturday.
Up to 125 centimeters (49 inches) of water has been dumped on the region over the past four days, and moderate rains were reported Saturday in low-lying areas in four provinces following the worst drought since 1998, officials said.
Disaster officials in Thua Thien Hue province forecast more rain for the next couple of days.
In Quang Ngai province, some 900 kilometers (560 miles) south of Hanoi, six people drowned Thursday, a provincial disasters official said on condition of anonymity.
Three family members were killed Friday and two remained missing after a landslide destroyed their home, he said.
Five others drowned in Thua Thien Hue province, four in neighboring Quang Tri province, and three in nearby Quang Nam province, disasters officials said.
An official in Quang Nam province said some streets in ancient Hoi An town, a UNESCO cultural heritage site, were submerged but no major damage was reported.
Vietnam's north-south rail link has been interrupted in Thua Thien Hue province since Thursday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, an official at Hue railway station said.
It was unclear when the submerged rail link would be reopened, she added.
Despite the flooding, little rain has been reported over the past few days in the nearby Central Highland province of Daklak, the country's largest coffee growing region, officials said.
The drought there is likely to reduce the province's coffee output by 20 percent to 40 percent, said Nguyen Huu Trung, deputy director of the provincial agriculture department.
The Associated Press - November 27, 2004.
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