Vietnam’s central provinces plagued by new wave of flooding Floodwater inundates a street in Tuy Phuoc District, located in the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh. Tuoi Tre Continuous floods have ravaged many localities in central Vietnam, especially Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai provinces. According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, rainfalls of between 100 and 250 millimeters have showered the provinces from Thua Thien- Hue in the north-central part to Binh Dinh in the south-central region. The downpours have caused water level of local rivers to rise, with weather experts warning of severe inundation in Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai. Flashflood and landslide are also likely to occur in the area. Tran Chau, vice-chairman of the Binh Dinh People’s Committee, said on Tuesday evening that the province has been hit with three floods since early November, adding that such phenomenon was unprecedented. “We have to figure out measures to deal with the new flood while damages caused by previous ones have yet to be resolved,” Chau elaborated. By Tuesday afternoon, floodwater up to 0.5 meters high has submerged nearly 1,000 houses in Binh Dinh’s Tuy Phuoc District and affected the husbandry and agricultural activities in the area. Several communes in the district were isolated in the evening of the same day as many streets were seriously inundated, said Nguyen Dinh Thuan, chairman of Tuy Phuoc administration. An 11-year-old schoolgirl, who was washed away and drowned by flood water, has become the first victim to die from the new wave of flooding, and the tenth since the beginning of November, Thuan continued. Meanwhile, in Quang Ngai, many parts of Nghia Hanh District were flooded by water between 0.5 and 1.5 meters high. According to the provincial administration, about 2.5 kilometers of roads and seven bridges were damaged while landslide has occurred in five residential areas. Local authorities have also ordered rescue units to provide food and water supply for residents in isolated areas. TUOI TRE NEWS