Downpour hitting northern region, causing widespread flooding

• Casualties, missing victims from torrential rains, floods mounts to 63

A few days after typhoon Son Tinh passed, a low-pressure belt remains active causing the downpours.

Many of Hanoi’s streets were flooded resulting in traffic problems overnight. In some places, vehicles had to negotiate through several centimetres of water.

According to the Hanoi drainage company, Bac Tu Liem, Thanh Xuan and Ha Dong areas received the highest rainfall so far, ranging from 140mm to nearly 200mm since.

There were similar issues around Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho and Dong Da districts.

No falling trees or broken branches were reported and the sewage and dyke systems in the city functioned normally.

The Hanoi drainage company also said water levels in ditches and rivers across Hanoi (Nhue, Day, Tich rivers or Cau Nga channel) were rising, but due to their poor drainage conditions, the company is using all pumps at maximum capacity to prevent further problems.

Floods were also reported to threaten nearly 700 hectares of newly cultivated rice fields in Hanoi. Already 98ha of rice fields in the rural districts of Ba Vi and Quoc Oai is completely under water.

Similarly, in the coastal province of Quang Ninh, several residential areas in Ha Long and Cam Pha cities were flooded.

According to Nguyen Hong Duong, Chairman of Cam Pha city, a 500m section at the But pass-km15 of the National Road 18A, connecting Ha Long and Cam Pha, is under 1.5-2m of water and traffic was stopped from going through.

The But pass section regularly suffers from flooding especially after heavy rains, despite the province’s efforts to alleviate the situation.

Rainstorms are forecast to continue throughout the day, with northern mountainous provinces of Son La, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh receiving the brunt of the downpours.