NHA TRANG (Vietnam): Rescuers plucked stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes as widespread flooding inundated central Vietnam, where authorities said on Thursday at least 41 people were killed.
Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding.
Whole city blocks were inundated in coastal Nha Trang, a tourist spot known for its pristine beaches, and hundreds of cars were underwater on Thursday, AFP photos showed.
Business owner Bui Quoc Vinh, 45, said he was safe in his 24th-floor apartment in Nha Trang, but his restaurants and shops on the ground floor were under about a metre (3.2 feet) of water. His employees were even worse off.
“I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now,” he told AFP.
“My staff have to take care of their flooded homes,” which he said were under two metres of water. “I don’t think the water is going to recede soon as the rain has not stopped.”
Rescuers using boats in central Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces pried open windows and broke through roofs to assist residents stranded by high water on Wednesday, according to state media.