International

16 dead in central Vietnam landslides

KathmanduPati October 29, 2020

AGENCY – At least 16 people died in landslides in Vietnam’s central Quang Nam province as of 9:30 local time Thursday, Vietnam News Agency reported. The death toll is up from eight reported earlier on Thursday.

Two separate landslides occurred in Tra Van and Tra Leng communes in Nam Tra My district of Quang Nam province on Wednesday. The newly found eight bodies were from Tra Leng commune, as the eight found earlier were all from the other commune, according to the latest report by the news agency.

The number of people missing may soon drop as two households managed to get up to the mountain areas before the landslide occurred, said the report. Search and rescue is still underway with military staff, vehicles and equipment mobilized, according to the report.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday requested the country’s National Committee for Disaster Response, Search and Rescue, military forces and local authorities to coordinate and use any method necessary to quickly rescue the victims of the landslides. Typhoon Molave hit Vietnam’s central region on Wednesday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds.