Intense hailstorms hit provinces in northern Vietnam, killing three, injuring 13, destroying crops and severely damaging 6,000 homes.
The storm affected the provinces of Ha-Gyang, Vinh Phuc and Lai Chau. According to available data, hailstones reached 5 cm in diameter.
In Ha-Gyang, about 810 houses were damaged in the Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man, Yen Minh, Don Van Yi Meo WAK districts. Winds blew the roofs of 229 houses in Xin Man, while 139 houses were damaged in other areas. The damage is estimated at about $ 94,000, or 2.2 billion dong.
Heavy rains, hail and high winds devastated crops and damaged roads, according to Wantian, an official in the province's Xinmang commune.
Lu Wang San, a resident of Chi-Fo commune in Hoang-Su County, said the roof of his house was completely blown off while two of his buffaloes were struck by lightning.
In the Lai Chau area, the hail lasted for about 30 minutes, affecting homes and crops in Tan Uyen, Tam Duong, Nam Nhun, Muong Te, Phong Tho and Lai Chau town. Affected residents have been relocated to safer areas, said Xuan Tinh, deputy chief secretariat of the Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue.
Severe weather continued on Thursday, and witnesses say the hailstorm came after high winds, destroying many homes and injuring at least 13 people.
While the flooding has affected some cities, authorities said the days of heavy rains helped alleviate the drought in Vinh Phuk.
On Friday, April 24, three deaths were reported as thunderstorms hit several mountainous provinces. One person died in Hajiang Province after being hit by a fallen tree. Another person died when his house collapsed after a landslide.
The Central Committee of the Vietnamese Red Cross Society (VNRC) announced that it will provide victims with an aid package worth more than $ 12,000 or 270 million VND in cash and in kind. Financial assistance will be provided to households with injured and damaged homes, primarily the poor and disabled, as well as the elderly and people with children under the age of five.
Tinh noted that hail is a rare occurrence in Vietnam. However, the northern region was battered by heavy hail storms last month that lasted 30 to 40 minutes.
The National Center for Hydrometeorology Forecasting reported that the air temperature in the northern and north-central provinces will drop to 15-18 ° C. In some northern mountainous provinces, temperatures can be less than 14 ° C.