Natural Disasters Leave 481 Vietnamese Dead or Missing in Jan-Nov

Natural disasters left 481 dead or missing in Vietnam and caused total losses of VND23.2 trillion ($1.25 billion) in the first eleven months of the year, state media reported Dec. 3, citing statistics from the General Statistics Office. The calamities destroyed 42,000 hectares of rice and subsidiary crops, 11,000 hectares of aquaculture area, 66 kilometers of dykes, 21.2 kilometers of embankments, 1,200 kilometers of road, 25,000 houses. Among the disasters-hit localities, Quang Ngai province was the worst hit with losses of VND4.9 trillion, followed by Quang Nam province with VND3.6 trillion. In November, Typhoon Mirinae made landfall on central Vietnam, triggering floods and landslides, leaving 126 dead or missing and causing losses of VND5.6 trillion. The number of hungry families and people in Vietnam in Nov. increased four folds from a month earlier due to typhoons Ketsana and Mirinae.