Nearly 62,000 houses from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue were flooded. More than 5,150 households in low-lying and submerged areas in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces were relocated to higher ground.

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre said the low pressure, off China’s Hainan Island, was about 360km northeast of Vietnam’s central provinces.

The low, together with a cold spell, would bring heavy rainfall to central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri.

On October 5, the Prime Minister sent an official message, demanding urgent measures to deal with the disaster.

The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control on October 5 required local authorities to collaborate with the Search and Rescue Committee, to inform offshore fishing vessels about the low pressure to avoid dangerous areas and seek shelter if necessary.

Local authorities were required to take measures to deal with landslides and floods.

The Ministry of Health also urged local health agencies from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan provinces to supply 100,000 tablets of Chloramine B and 100 lifebuoys to flooded areas.

More than 900 border soldiers with 500 lifebuoys, 400 life jackets and 35 tents were mobilized to join the rescue work. More than 1.5 million tonnes of food, 15,000 packets of instant noodles and 2.5 million litres of water were sent to help people in flood-hit areas.

The Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee provided VND1 billion worth of aid to flood victims. Thousands of people were mobilized to re-open roads and control drainage systems.

As many as 300 soldiers were sent to help evacuate more than 4,000 households in flood-prone areas in Quang Binh province. Nearly 2,000 households would be moved to safer places.

The Hanoi City People’s Committee on October 5 said the city’s agencies and organisations had donated VND1 billion for the five heavily-affected central provinces.

The Vietnam Red Cross also provided financial support and goods valued at VND820 million for Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.