Record river tides flood districts in HCM City

Updated October, 29 2011 09:56:15

HCM CITY — Flood tides in HCM City's rivers and canals reached 50-year highs this week, flooding several districts in the country's biggest city.

Residential areas in Districts 2, 8, Thu Duc, and Phu Nhuan began to be inundated late in the afternoon on Thursday when water spilled over dykes, canals, and sewage gates.

The Southern Hydrometeorology Forecast Centre said the tide reached a record high of 1.57m yesterday, the highest in 50 years.

On Thursday it measured 1.55m in the Sai Gon River, or above the third warning level, causing floods of at least half a metre in the four districts.

The first flood tide had occurred in the Sai Gon on Monday, Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the Southern Hydrometeorology Forecast Centre, said.

Hundreds of houses were flooded, with Thu Duc's Linh Dong Ward being the worst affected after being deluged in nearly 1.5m of water.

Civil defence forces, the police, students, workers, and security forces helped move affected people and their properties to safety.

The HCM City Anti-Flooding Programme Management Centre said 20 roads would be inundated, with Luong Dinh Cua Street in District 2, Ben Phu Dinh in District 8, and Bui Huu Nghia in Binh Thanh expected to be submerged in half a metre of water.

The city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development expected water to spill over the dykes in District 12, some parts of Thu Duc, and the Sai Gon basin in Cu Chi District.

Authorities and residents in these areas have been warned. The river tides are expected to last until today.

On Thursday flood waters from upstream coupled with rising flood tides in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River caused floods in the delta region.

In Kien Giang Province, which like the rest of the delta, has been flooded for the last few weeks, at least 10 people, including eight children, have been killed so far and more than 6,000 houses flooded.

Areas around the An Giang capital Long Xuyen saw flood waters rise by up to half a metre since Thursday.

Can Tho has also been flooded.

In Hau Giang sugarcane farms have been flooded, while in Tien Giang schools have been shut down for several days.

The Cai Lay District Education and Training Office said 1,200 students have been affected by the floods and 43 schools are submerged.

Thousands of houses are in danger of being flooded in Soc Trang as the flood tide has reached the highest level in history. — VNS

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn//Environment/217077/Record-river-tides-flood-districts-in-HCM-City.html