VietNamNet Bridge – This year's eighth tropical storm has killed at least three people, left one missing, one injured, and seven farmers isolated after bringing torrential rains to central and central highland regions.

Workers repair the Ho Chi Minh Road's western route that was destroyed by a landslide caused by heavy rain. This year's eighth tropical storm has claimed lives of at least three people, injured one, left one missing, and flooded thousands of hectares of crops and houses.

Among those killed were a Lao person in Quang Tri Province and two local people in Dak Lak Province swept away by floods.

Quang Tri Province's authority will send the Lao victim's body home while Dak Lak Province rescue teams are still trying to save seven local farmers isolated by floods.

The storm caused damage to more than 5,000 ha of crops, inundated around 5,000 houses, and swept away 1,500 poultry birds in the region.

In Quang Tri, up to 3,000 houses were inundated including 1,300 houses in Huong Hoa District. Chairman of the district People's Committee Vo Thanh said that water levels at Se Pon River rose quickly yesterday morning, causing the flood.

Head-high waters

Ho Thi Luong, a local resident of the district, said, "we left our house without carrying furniture because we had no time, the river's water level was already higher than my head."

The district's authorities have been helping local residents cope with effects of the flood.

The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said the storm weakened to a low tropical-pressure system yesterday morning, with wind speeds below 39km per hour after making landfall on central provinces; Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue. The storm is now moving west at 15km per hour.

The centre warned that provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam had been put on alert for flash floods and landslides.

In the meantime, heavy rains and whirlwinds were predicted to continue lashing provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien Hue, with rough seas to batter provinces Binh Thuan and Ca Mau due to the low tropical-pressure system.

Source: VNS