Flooding death toll in Vietnam climbs above 60
At least 61 people, including 56 children, have died in this year's
annual flooding in Vietnam's southern Mekong Delta region,
state media reported.
A total of 11 people have been killed in the past week in the
provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap and Long An, said the Lao
Dong daily, warning that flood waters could rise further in the
next few days.
Children are the most vulnerable to the annual phenonemon that
affects about eight million people in more than half of the 12
Delta provinces.
So far, 54,000 houses have been flooded and nearly 700
kilometres (440 miles) of roads have been submerged in the
Delta region, where more than 100,000 children have also been
unable to attend school for the 10 days.
Last year, during which there were two major flood peaks, some 300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands
left homeless in the nutrient-rich region.
In 2000 the Delta was hit by the worst floods in nearly two decades. Around 400 people were killed, including nearly
300 children swept away by torrential floodwaters as their parents sought to salvage crops.
Agence France Presse - September 20, 2002.
|