Vietnam has lost an estimated VND2.8 trillion ($132.7 million) to natural disasters in November, compared to VND3.83 trillion in Nov 2012, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said in its report. Among disasters-hit localities, the central province of Binh Dinh was the hardest hit with damages worth VND1.3 trillion, which accounted for 53.6% of the country’s total damages. Natural calamities also left 54 people dead and missing and 93 injured. Over 600 houses collapsed and more than 760 hectares of paddy and subsidiary crops were destroyed. The Southeast Asian country is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly tropical storms, floods, landslides and droughts. So far this year, up to 15 typhoons have made landfall in Vietnam. (GSO Nov Edition)
