Four missing after heavy rain and floods hit northern mountainous provinces

Four people are missing after being swept away by flash floods that hit the northern province of Lai Châu early Monday morning.
The floods occurred at around 6am on Monday along Hua Bum Stream in Nậm Nhùn District and Nậm Sì Lường Stream in Mường Tè District.
Mai Văn Thạch, chairman of Mường Tè District People’s Committee, said authorities were evacuating the area and searching for the missing people.
The floods were accompanied by landslides which damaged major roads in the province including National Highway 4H and provincial highway 133.
In the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai, a suspended bridge collapsed and 20 houses were flooded in Bản Hồ Commune, Sa Pa District when a flash flood hit the area early Monday morning.
Three cars were swept away by the strong current.
Lê Tân Phong, chairman of the district People’s Committee, said that heavy rain from Sunday to early Monday morning had caused the floods.
He said flood-hit areas and flood-prone areas had been evacuated.
With the suspended bridge down in Bản Hồ Commune, the people of Bản Dền and La Ve hamlets had been left isolated.
Local authorities had instructed people including locals and tourists to avoid flooded or landslide-hit routes, he said.
The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control asked northern provinces to follow the developments of the bad weather which is expected to continue until Tuesday.
Flood-prone areas such as those along streams/rivers or lower parts of rivers as well as erosion-prone areas should be monitored closely so that people will be informed timely to move to safer areas if necessary.
The National High School Graduation Examination is scheduled of Wednesday, so the steering committee has asked exam councils to prepare staff, equipment and emergency locations if needed.
On Sunday and Monday, heavy rain was seen in Sìn Hồ and Than Uyên (Lai Châu Province), Sapa (Lào Cai Province), Lục Yên (Yên Bái Province), Bắc Quang (Hà Giang Province), Uông Bí (Quảng Ninh Province) and Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh provinces with rainfall ranging from 92-154mm.
Source: VNS