10 people killed, 5 missing amid floods in central Vietnam

Heavy rains and floods have killed 10 people and left five missing across central Vietnam, local online newspaper VNexpress reported on Wednesday.

Torrential rains caused by a cold front and tropical convergence zone have drenched central Vietnam since Oct. 23, with some areas receiving over 1,000 millimeters (inches) of rain.

Over 7,000 households, or about 21,000 people, have been evacuated, and hydropower reservoirs are working to reduce floodwaters downstream.

In the city of Da Nang, six people were killed, 19 injured, and four residents remain missing.

Floodwaters submerged 29 communes in the lower Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin, while 10 mountainous communes were cut off by landslides.

In Hue, one person drowned, and a 5-year-old girl went missing in floodwaters. Thirty-two of the city's 40 communes remain flooded.

Quang Ngai province reported three deaths, with over 120 landslides blocking highways and trapping vehicles.

Local authorities and the military were deployed for rescue operations, but heavy rain has delayed their operations.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting expects more heavy rain through Thursday night.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday chaired an urgent meeting to direct flood response and recovery efforts.