HANOI: Flash floods struck Vietnam’s mountainous north overnight, killing at least three people while nine others are missing, disaster authorities said Friday.
Heavy rain of up to 30 centimeters triggered the floods in the provinces of Son La, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and especially Dien Bien, isolating several communities.
The ministry of agriculture said three people were killed while a search is ongoing for nine others in Dien Bien province’s Tia Dinh and Xa Dung communes.
State media quoted local authorities as saying rain was heavy from 3:00 am, triggering flash floods from upstream.
Several villages became flooded and remained inaccessible by Friday afternoon.
Last weekend, flash floods claimed five lives in Son La province, inundating crops and washing away poultry and cattle.
Vietnam is now in its tropical storm season, which often cause deadly floods and landslides.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi devastated northern Vietnam, leaving 345 people dead and causing an estimated economic loss of $3.3 billion.
Flash floods kill three in Vietnam, nine missing
Flash floods kill three in Vietnam, nine missing
- Heavy rain of up to 30 centimeters triggered the floods in the provinces of Son La, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and especially Dien Bien
- Vietnam is now in its tropical storm season, which often cause deadly floods and landslides
Netanyahu demands Western governments fight antisemitism
- A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Western countries to step up their fight against antisemitism and protect Jewish communities, two days after a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish event in Sydney.
“I demand that Western governments do what is necessary to fight antisemitism and provide the required safety and security for Jewish communities worldwide,” Netanyahu said in a video address on Tuesday.
“They would do well to heed our warnings. I demand action — now,” he added.
A father and son opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
The Australian authorities said the attack was antisemitic, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appeared to be “motivated by Islamic State ideology,” referring to the jihadist group that swept through Iraq and Syria more than a decade ago.
On Sunday, Netanyahu accused Canberra of having fueled antisemitism in the period leading up to the shooting.
“A few months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism,” he said, referring to a letter he sent to Albanese in August following Canberra’s announcement that it would recognize Palestinian statehood.
“Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent,” Netanyahu added during a televised public address at an event in southern Israel.
His words were echoed by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who urged Canberra to act against the “surge” in antisemitism during a phone call with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on Sunday.
