Vietnam has lost about VND254 billion ($12.09 million) from natural disasters in May, versus nearly VND169 billion in the same period last year, said the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO). Natural disasters also left 16 people dead and missing, 58 injured, over 26,000 houses collapsed and damaged over 7,500 hectares of paddy and subsidiary crops. Among, disasters-hit localities, the three northern mountainous provinces of Lao Cai, Cao Bang and Phu Tho were the hardest hit. Vietnam is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly tropical storms, floods, landslides and droughts. The country is forecast to suffer five to six typhoons per year. (GSO May Edition)
