UN OFFICIALS MONITOR DEADLY FLOOD SITUATION IN NORTHERN VIET NAM

UN OFFICIALS MONITOR DEADLY FLOOD SITUATION IN NORTHERN VIET NAM New York, Aug 11 2008 4:10PM United Nations humanitarian and development officials are monitoring the situation in the mountains of northern Viet Nam, where heavy rains resulting from a recent tropical storm have killed dozens of people and caused a series of flash floods and landslides.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have received reports from national authorities that at least 97 people are confirmed dead, 48 others are missing and 38 people have been injured.

More than 4,500 homes were destroyed or partially damaged yesterday by the floods that followed Tropical Storm Kammuri, and nearly 9,000 hectares of paddy fields and crops have been wiped out.

Vietnamese meteorological officials have warned that more rains are expected, increasing the threat of floods and landslides, particularly in the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Phu Tho.

UNDP and OCHA said they were in close contact with Vietnamese authorities about the situation to determine if UN assistance is needed.
2008-08-11 00:00:00.000

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