Hanoi, Oct 5 (RIA Novosti) Floods caused by Typhoon Lekima have claimed 20 lives in northern Vietnam, a representative from a local organisation supervising the relief operations said Friday.Typhoon Lekima, which struck Vietnam earlier this week, caused the water level to rise in rivers in the country's northern region.Winds raging at speeds of more than 130 kmph have devastated Vietnam's central region, the country's poorest, destroying crops over an area of nearly 74,000 acres, knocking down phone and power lines.Around 5,000 houses are partly under water, and the main highways are closed.The evacuation of people from dangerous mountainous regions is currently underway.
(c) Indo-Asian News Service
