Casualties in storm Dianmu climb to seven, two still missing
The number of deaths from storm Dianmu, which swept through the northern region on August 19, has climbed to seven as of August 21, according to the Office of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control.
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Two people from Bac Giang and Lao Cai are still missing. Eight people in Hanoi, Yen Bai, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho were injured.
The storm, the third entering the East Sea so far this year, triggered the collapse of 44 houses, unroofed 651 houses, and inundated 1,511 houses. Nearly 2,000 cattle and poultry were killed, over 10,000 hectares of rice and vegetables were damaged entirely or partly and hundreds of trees were uprooted.
Fourteen bridges across the hit provinces broke down. Thousands of roads, canals and dams were submerged and damaged. Blackouts occurred in a number of areas due to fallen power columns and damaged transmission lines.
On August 20 morning, Minister-Head of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control Nguyen Xuan Cuong chaired a meeting reviewing storm response and post-storm recovery.
On-site missions were deployed across the affected localities to assess and timely address the consequences of the storm and post-storm flash floods.
Power supply has been restored in most areas in the 11 storm-hit provinces and cities of Lang Son, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Vinh Phuc, Son La, Hung Yen, Hai Duong and Yen Bai.
Local authorities are having pumping machines run around the clock to pump water from paddy fields, while residents are repairing damaged houses, roads and cleaning up living environment.
Communication work continues to be enhanced to raise public awareness, and officials are drawing lessons to improve preparedness for natural calamities.
Storm Dianmu landed in the mainland from the northern port city of Hai Phong to the northern province of Bac Ninh on August 19 and brought strong wind and heavy rains to the northern and northern central regions.
