Wipha leaves 3 dead, 1 missing in Vietnam

HANOI, July 25 ------ At least three people were killed and another is missing in torrential downpours over Vietnam from Tropical Storm Wipha, authorities said, while deluges flooded nearly 4,000 homes. The agriculture and environment ministry said three people were killed in flash floods and landslides in north-central Nghe An province, while one person remained missing and five more were injured.

Around 12,500 people were evacuated before the storm’s landfall on Tuesday, when heavy rains and winds began lashing the Southeast Asian country’s north and central belt. Nationwide, more than 3,800 houses have been flooded — with several over their rooftops — while nearly 95,000 hectares of crops were submerged and destroyed. Mountainous Nghe An was evacuated of thousands of people on Wednesday night as rivers and reservoirs overflowed and inundated local communities, state media reported.

Last week, Wipha killed at least six people in the Philippines, where tens of thousands were forced from their homes and it flooded parts of the capital Manila. Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

A sudden whirlwind and abnormal weather pattern overturned a tourist boat in Vietnam’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural area of Ha Long Bay last Friday, killing 37 people, including several children. And in September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 people dead and causing an estimated economic loss of $3.3 billion.

Source: manilatimes.net