Prolonged heavy rain triggered a landslide that has killed three people in northern Quang Ninh province.
The deaths raised safety fears for thousands of residents in the flood
and landslide-prone northern mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Lao Cai
and Yen Bai as the wet season approaches.
Seventeen
people were killed or presumed dead after floods and landslides in Ha
Giang province in the first seven months of this year. Forty-two houses
were also destroyed.
The province's Xin Man, Yen
Minh, Bac Quang and Quang Binh districts were particularly prone to
floods and landslides, officials said.
To Thanh Lai,
chairman of Yen Thanh Commune People's Committee in Quang Binh
district, warned that landslides were expected at numerous locations
along Highway 279.
Floods and landslides killed 238
people in Lao Cai province between 2000 and 2008, swept away 1,200
houses and destroyed more than 10,000ha of paddy fields.
Le Thanh Du, the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development deputy
director, said: "Floods and landslides have occurred more frequently and
been more serious in recent years," adding that thousands of residents
were put at risk annually.
He blamed climate change for the unpredictable weather.
"In previous years, flash floods and landslides were often caused by
prolonged heavy rain of between 200-300mm, but this year, floods and
landslides have taken place in areas where the rainfall has measured
just 8-10mm," he said.
"As a result, local
authorities have been carrying out more checks in high-risk areas to
ensure response measures are prompt. They have also relocated more than
5,000 people from areas prone to flash floods and landslides," Du said.
Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the National
Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre, said it was difficult to
predict exactly where and when landslides and flash-floods would take
place.
"The lack of flood-forecasting technology and
limited training hinder our work. Reliable warnings are based on many
factors, not just on the likelihood of rain," he said.
He said that flash floods and landslides often happened after spells
of drought, particularly in mountainous areas and near river mouths.
"When hearing strange noises and finding that the water level in
rivers has dropped suddenly or risen dramatically, people should move to
safe areas," he said.
Hai added that heavy rains were expected in northern mountainous regions in the next few days./.
