Hanoi, December 7, 2022, SPA -- Heavy downpours and floods in the central region of Vietnam in the past few days claimed the lives of five people as of 5pm on December 6, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. According to the standing office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, 2,903 houses were submerged in Thua Thien –Hue province and more than 10ha of rice and 620ha of crops in Quang Nam province were flooded. Traffic on some roads was blocked due to landslides. Meanwhile, severe erosion at the riverbank in the southern province of Vinh Long has swallowed nearly 38,000 sq.m of land, 11 houses and other properties. The damage is estimated at about 7 billion VND (294,000 USD). Local authorities have erected warning signs to prevent people from entering the dangerous area and relocated 17 households to safety locations. To cope with cold spells in the northern region and floods in the central region, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has asked localities to continue keeping a close watch on weather developments to take appropriate response measures. --SPA 11:18 LOCAL TIME 08:18 GMT 0007 www.spa.gov.sa/w1823143