Hanoi - As floodwaters recede in Vietnam and more bodies are discovered, the death toll is up to 71 with a dozen people still missing, disaster officials said Tuesday. "Despite careful preparations, the floods have claimed many lives," said Nguyen The Luong, the director of the Central Flood and Storm Department. "It is because the floods have been too fierce, stronger than expected and stronger than the designs of houses, bridges and roads."
Water levels are starting to fall after days of heavy rains unleashed by Typhoon Lekima and people are beginning to return to their homes. Lekima, which was downgraded to a tropical storm, triggered some of the worst flooding Vietnam has seen in decades.
Several villages in northern and central Vietnam remain under water and inaccessible except by boat and helicopter. Rescue workers and the military have delivered tons of food and supplies to people stranded on rooftops.
Vietnam made extensive preparations to evacuate 400,000 people as Typhoon Lekima approached its shores last Wednesday. But local governments, as well as residents, were less prepared for the flooding and landslides that followed the heavy rains.
"Many people in the flood areas underestimated the severity of the floods and refused to evacuate," Luong said.
Nghe An province was the worst hit with 23 dead. Fifteen people died in Thanh Hoa and 12 were killed in Hoa Binh. In all, nine northern and central provinces reported casualties and extensive damage.
Disaster officials have raised the total damage estimates to 141 million dollars. Floods completely destroyed 5,971 houses and flooded 120,000 hectares of crops.
