VietNamNet Bridge – My Phuoc town in Ben Cat district, the southern province of Binh Duong was suddenly flooded at midnight on October 19, which was unprecedented event here.

A wall collapses by flood.

At about 1am on October 20, after several hours of downpours, the center area of My Phuoc town was submerged in water. By 7am, many areas were sunken at depths of 40cm to 3m.

Ms. Le Thi Men, 29, on Street 1, said at about 11pm on October 19, flooding from somewhere overflowed so quickly to the town. Her family could not timely move furniture. "Our family just tried to run outside to escape. All properties have gone away," she said in tears.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Than, 48, said at about 11pm on October 19, water began to rise. Her family had to bring five baby pigs into the house to avoid flooding. "But then water suddenly flew from somewhere. We could only take our personal papers and escape from the house. The pigs were swept away," she recalled.

Similarly, a wall of Mr. Tran Van Trai’s toilet collapsed in water. Nearby, Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, 21, was trying to drive his car out of the house when the flood came. He had to leave the car to run away.

The map shows the amount of water from the four streams to the depressed area of Ben Cat, Binh Duong, which caused flooding in these days.

According to locals, this was the biggest flood that ever occurred in the province of Binh Duong. As water came in so fast that the people could not evacuate their property.

Floods also damaged the two bridges of Ben May and Ben Tuong in Lai Hung Commune.

All police officers and military forces in My Phuoc district were mobilized to rescue people in seriously flooded areas.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Son, deputy head of anti-fire and rescue police agency of My Phuoc district, said by 6am on October 20, the search and rescue forces moved all people out of dangerous areas. The local government has arranged shelters for these people to wait for the water to recede.

Mr. Ho Van Thong, deputy director of the Binh Duong Sewerage and Environment Company, said that after large and prolonged rains, water from four streams of Ben Cui, Dong So, Ben Van and Bay Lang flowing to the depressed areas during high tides caused the unprecedented flood in My Phuoc town.

Thong said on October 18-19, Tu Van 1 and 2 reservoirs discharged a total 180,000cu.m of water only. He said with a total water storage capacity of approximately 460,000 m3, if the two reservoirs discharge all water, they cannot cause flooding in the region.

My Phuoc devastated in unprecedented flooding